Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here!
by gilmoregirl1979
Summary: LL Future fic Luke and Lorelai as a MARRIED couple, What would happen if they ran into their Exes? RR you know you wanna ENJOY the Fluffy goodness! Chapter 5 up! FINALLY!
1. Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here!

**Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here!**

**By GilmoreGirl1979**

**Up First, .... A Dedication: I'd like to take this op to thank and give a shout out to LuvzAFunEthing, girl you are one crazy chica, your stories have made this hiatas that much more bearable...our convos, season speculating, and brainstorming crack me up to no end (oh the pain, my sides they split), and woman, you hate SCARY NIPPLE MAN AS MUCH AS I DO, SO THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!!!!! ENJOY!!!**

**and remember, while I have strange passions, you are multifaceted abnormal.**

**Rating: PG-13( just for the hell of it!!! diet coke!)**

**Hi this is your friendly disclaimer,: I own nothing, I do own the Season 1 on DVD(and have watched it repeatedly) and have dibs on a copy of season 2......that is all....ASP WB no harm no sue...( I don't own diet coke either...hell I don't even drink it....)**

**Summary: L/L,Future fic let's say...spring 2006? 2007 Maybe...(I suck at math) Luke and Lorelai as a cute couple, where is that pepto-bismol? Its just too cute!!!!please R/R you know, So Scary Nipple Man haters unite and enjoy the Fluffy goodness!!!**

**R/R: yes please I love reviews, I wanna marry them (as stated before I have strange passions.) I 'm sorta going for the whole "Pit of Dispair" (again with the Princess Bride) "[we want]... eveyone healthy before they are broken ..."LOL**

**So, Oy with the poodles already!!!**

* * *

"You just _went_ at your parent's house," Luke gripped.

"Luke, I'm sorry, but I have to _go_ again." Lorelai pleaded.

Luke pulled the Jeep into the drug store parking lot, "Here, this place is open 24 hours, so you don't have to worry about how long you will take."

"HA HA," not appreciating her husband's sarcasm, but did appreciate the thoughtful subtext behind the comment. "Hey, you're not gonna leave me like 'Where The Heart Is' are you?"

"Lorelai that was just a movie, and at a Walmart, ...I would never leave you, now will you go relieve your bladder before you make a mess in the Jeep!!"

Lorelai giggled at Luke "You said bladder."

"Leaky faucets, flowing streams, Niagra falls...."

"You are evil!"

"Will you just go..."

"I didn't drink that much, I swear..."

"Yeah , yeah, ... do you want me to go in with you?"

She always thought it was sweet, he was always so protective! And she was always so independent! But after two years of marriage, and a few big blowout misunderstandings later, they finally mastered the art of compromise.

"If I'm not out in 10 minutes, I either fell in or got lost in the junk food aisle."

"Then either way, the cavalry will appear in 10 minutes, and save you from yourself" he smiled, ... he kissed her hand, then got out of the jeep, and hurried over to help her out of the passenger side. She gave him a quick peck for his chivalrous gesture and headed inside to use the restroom immediately.

As she made her way back down the aisle to exit, she spotted some Antacids, and as if recalling some sense memory, rubbed her hand above her heart. Why did her mother not listen to her dinner requests? ...or maybe it was the cook's fault? Whoever? There were certain foods that were now off limits, food that she may never be able to eat again, if Luke had his way, but mainly due to the terrible acid reflux she was suffering of late. _Yes, I lead a charmed life!_ So, Lorelai decided to stock up since she was here, "oooh and they are on sale, too! Score!" She wanted to make sure that these were the kind with calcium, so she wouldn't have to hear THAT lecture again. _Knowing when to pick your battles, _she smiled, _I do love being married._ As she read the label she had a strange feeling she was being watched...then a presence seemed to sneak up behind her.

"So how's my favorite coffee addict?"

"Luke, I'm almost ready, I'm just making sure these are the calcuim kind, and they are on sale...soo we can...Oops" As she turned around too quickly, she bumped into the man standing too close behind her. A man that WAS NOT Luke.

Both gasped, for very different reasons. Lorelai gasped, because, yet again, she was face to face with her Ex-Fiancee, Max Medina...in a drug store. She was surprised at how different he looked, his trademark head of hair was gone! He now looked more like Matt Lauer from the Today Show. Max had gasped as well, due to bumping into her protruding, pregnant belly. "_She didn't look pregnant from behind_." He thought.

"WOW!" Was all he could verbally manage, at the size of her stomach. Forgetting all formality and courtesy of not being blatantly rude.

"Yeah you to. Small world,...again..." she cursed her choice of words, now she'd have that song stuck in her head, and no doubt it would annoy Luke the entire ride home. She wasn't really offended by Max staring ar her stomach; After all she was staring at his shaved head. But really how would he have _known_, how often do you keep in touch with someone you stood up at the altar. But they seemed destined for these random chance meetings. Only the fates knew why?

"So how have you been? You still at Chilton?" she asked casually. Trying to distract him from the size of her belly, She was self conscious enough as it was being as big as the Dragonfly.

"Oh, Yeah still at Chilton, ... and, I'm actually engaged....again.." he chuckled uncomfortably, trying to joke about their history. Here she was agian, only pregnant and as radiant as ever.

"Well good for you, " she smiled genuniely, happy he had moved on successfully just as she did. "What happened to your hair?"

He had to laugh at the Gilmore directness, "Oh, well Veronica, my fiancee, she convinced me to shave it when we were in California visiting her folks. Much cooler, temperature wise. Not style wise." Now it was his turn, "So how's Rory? Amazing them at Harvard?"

"Actually, she's in her fourth year at Yale."

"Really? But all she ever talked about was Harvard?"

"Things change, and the pro/con list won out..."

"AH,... And you,.... I see you have been busy."

"Yeah, right now I'm as big as my Inn."

"Oh right, the Dragonfly, I remember seeing that in the paper. Nice write up."

Lorelai recalled his three papers a day habit.

"What's it been? Three years now for your Inn?"

"Yeah, the "Magic Inn" as I like to call it" smiling at all the fond familiar memories that had taken place the past few years.

"Oh really I don't remember reading that?"

"Well it's kinda long story, but the inn is kinda how this happened..." patting her plump stomach, an unrepressable smile, at the memory. Much speculation was thrown about Stars Hollow about when and where the conception took place. Only Luke and Lorelai knew for sure. But Babbette had made an unintentional guess at the Test Run, " _It's a paradise. Oh, Lorelai, the babies that are going to be conceived on this property!"_ A romantic picnic on the Dragonfly grounds had turned into a passionate romp. Lorelai's only comment to Luke, as she and her husband walked back to the Inn, hand and hand, grinning like teenagers, was "I turned you into a movie guy, and you've turned me into an _outdoors_ girl." Returning her attention to the man before her, _Oh right Max ..._

"Well you can't stop there, ..." concerned about her pause, "... I'm intrigued, how did a Magic Inn impregnate you? How far along are you by the way? You look like your ready to pop?"

"Please don't ever use the word pop with a pregnant woman, again. Another 6 weeks, They're twins acutally, though God help me, My doctor said if I get any bigger, I will be bed ridden the entire last month...I'll need a fork lift to get to the hospital."

"Do you know what you are having?"

"Nah, we wanna be surprised?"

"Oh, yeah, are you here alone??" he asked out of genuine concern.

"Oh no, Luke is in the jeep" she pointed out the window.

"Luke?", Max knew that name.

"Yeah, my husband, Luke ..."

"As in Luke's Diner?"

"I was gonna say Danes, but same difference."

"Coffee Serving Luke?"

"Uh huh!"

"Flannel & Baseball Cap wearing Luke"

"Yup"

" '_Doesn't matter what time it is. I'll always be around'_ Luke" how those words were burned on Max's brain. After all these years, they were still crystal clear.

"Again yes?" she was started to get annoyed with his density of grasping this concept, not even noticing the direct quote. _Come on Max, you're a scholar, you were right, him and me, we had a thing for each other, after all these years, wrap your brain around it...Geez._ Her feet were killing her and she just wanted to go back home with her hubby, maybe take a warm bath.

"Wow, so you two finally did it...."

Lorelai had to laugh at the choice of words. "Dirty! And Duh!", ...because of her current pregnant state.

Max nervously, edited his answer, desperately not wanting to think of Luke and Lorelai ...in _THAT_ way. "I meant,... you got together, .... and you got married, ... I mean,...I knew I sensed something,....so how did the Dragonfly factor in?"

Never one to back down from talking about herself, she caught him up to speed. "Well I was running low on funds for construction, and Luke being my friend and all around knight in shining armor, lent the money to me and became an offical investor. But it turns out he wanted to be more than just a money lending friend." a smitten smile swept across her face, "So we went to his sister's wedding together, and then we went to the test run of the Dragonfly, which is when we REALLY began. That is when we had our first kiss, And now, everything for us seemed to happen there. Our first kiss, it's where he proposed, where we had our wedding with **_our chuppah_**," she left out..._the wedding night_, "...our baby shower... it's really like "Our Inn", She smiled,

Only as an after thought realizing that _the chuppah_ was made for her and Max's wedding, by Luke. _Huh, life is funny?_

"Wow, how can you top that,... an entire business, I just did the '1,000 yellow daisies'", he laughed lightly, "so how long has it been.... Since the whole "daisy thing"any way?" he only pretended to think....

Lorelai was straining to remember, let's see it was Spring,.....She and Luke were married for almost two years, the kiss at the test run was a year before their wedding... Rory graduated from Chilton 2003, Sookie's wedding the year before that, "hhmmm like 5-6 years? Something like that?"

Max was a little hurt by the nonchalant tone, well he did start it by referring to it as the "Daisy thing", instead of "my proposal". He could see it in her face, hear it in her voice, it's that glow that pregnant women had, or maybe it was just of a woman in Love. He really didn't need to ask, but he was going to despite himself, maybe he was just a masochist that way.

"So does he make you happy?"

"Very!" she smiled as she absently patted her belly, thinking of the joy it would be to raise these babies with Luke. Ever since they were dating Luke would occasionaly tell her: "Lorelai, you are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I thank you for that and I love you ." Finally having kids of his own sort of turned Luke into a big kid himself. He smiled more, joked more, and he was even nice to Kirk! and the backwards baseball hat didn't help either, but she loved it just the same.

"So he takes care of you?" still a little suspcious, what kind of man let's a pregnant woman go into a convience store alone at night?

"The very best, He wouldn't even let me lift a brush for the nursery, not even during the early months, he was so worried about paint fumes, so I just sat on the couch with my feet up, and he'd painted the room by himself and pampered me between coats. And Luke HATES painting but he loves to pamper me, so it turned out alright." She laughed, and Max followed suit, and laughed along with her. What was wrong with him, he had a beautiful fiancee at home, who he was just crazy about, and vice versa. But it was that Gilmore charm again, that mystique, it was infectious, it had captivated him again. _And for pete's sake she is pregnant!! With Luke's baby, ... babies_, he corrected.

Just then Luke's gruff voice could be heard over the aisles, "Marco?"

Lorelai had to giggle "Polo!" she shouted. _I've taught him well!_ She grinned with pride.

Max couldn't help but feel edgy about seeing Luke again, the last time he saw him was their "measuring contest" in Lorelai's foyer just before "the daisy thing". He cleared his throat for some reason. Max sensed Luke coming up behind him as he saw Lorelai's smile widen.

"Geez even pregnant you get all the men hitting on you!" Luke joked, not yet realizing who it was. Lorelai took Luke's hand and kissed him on the lips. And Luke continued, "At least you are not in the junk food aisle trying to smuggle contraband home, disguising it as our kids."

"Please I'm big enough as it is, nothing else will fit in here."

"Honey, you are beautiful, and once more..you know it!"

"Thank you," she smiled...she did know it. "Oh Look, they are on sale," handing him a few more boxes of the Antacids. "And yes, they are the calcium kind."

"Good!" Luke replied, grinning that she of course picked the peppermint and berry flavors. Then Luke looked up from the label he was reading, finally noticing it was Max she was talking too. he thinks it was Max. A somewhat altered Max, so he wanted to be sure. "Max? right, Medina, was it?" Luke turned to Lorelai to confirm. And she nodded, and with that Luke offered Max his hand.

Max could sense 'it' in Luke too, just like with Lorelai. He heard it in Luke's voice, saw it in his face, the way Luke shook his hand so freely. Max could see that he posed no threat to Luke as he did that night many moons ago... was it really 5 years ago? ...but today, Max had no power over Luke. After all, Luke was the one who had the Gilmore Girl, he was the one married to her, the one having not just one, but two babies with her.

There was no posturing, or showing up, or malice in the voice. Just a friendly, casual air.

"Ummmm yeah," he hesitantly shook Luke's hand. "well you look good, Luke." he wasn't sure if it was alright to call him that. But Luke didn't seem to care. And that bothered Max all the more.

"Oh Thanks, Friday night dinner with the in-laws." He said by way of explaination of being out of his flannel uniform. "Last one till the new additions arrive" Luke had a broad grin, as he put a hand on Lorelai's belly.

"Much to their mother's releif." Lorelai smiled, _again with the smile_, Max thought mildly irritated.

"Hey these past few months haven't been that bad, and I must say you were on your very best behavior tonight."

"Thank you, Coffee Man"  
"You're welcome, Crazy Lady"

Max forced a smile, the pet names was about all he could stand..."Well it was nice seeing you both. And congratualtions ... on everything." Max offered his hand again to Luke, which Luke took. "Take care, Max", Lorelai called after him as he turned away... As Max walked away, and he couldn't help but hear the rest of their conversation. Intentionally or not, he couldn't be sure.

"You ready to go home?"

"Absolutley, my feet are killin ...OW!" and Lorelai gasped, dropping her boxes of Antacids.

"Lorelai! What is it?" Luke's concern thick in his voice.

At the end of the asile, Max turned back to see what the problem was.

"Give me your hand Quick!"

"What is it?"

Lorelai palced his hand on a spot of her stomach "Feel that?"

Luke was just beaming, "Yeah, I do", as releif washed over his face, it was just a series of hard kicks.

"I think that's Will,...he's gonna be the next Freddie Adu, I tell ya, keeping mommy up at night."

"Will? Huh?"

"Yeah... after your dad, don't you like it?"

"First off I thought we wanted to be surprised..."

"We will be, we have 50/50 chance of one of them being a boy? and if this one's a girl we'll call her Wilma and she'll be like Mia Hamm."

"My daughter will not be named after the Flintstonesthank you very much...."

"Ok ok continue your previous rant...Secondly?..."

"Right,...secondly, I'd love to name a son Will, ... and I love you."

"Well, you better, I'm carring two of your kids at once. I better get double the coffee when this is over to make up for lost time."

"We'll see how many ice chips you can pelt at the nurses..." and Luke picked up his wife's Antacids from the floor.

"Deal!" she considered her stomach again. "Luke, you don't think they could bust out of me like in aliens, do you?"

"I told you not to watch the sci-fi channel marathons, all that stuff is filled with alien baby stories"

"You would know Trekkie. but Luke I'm serious, I'm older now, I'm not as flexible as I was when I was when I had Rory!"

"Dirty! And you are no John Hurt!!"

She sticks her tongue out at her husband.

"Don't tease, not for another few weeks"

and a wicked smile came on Lorelai's face, a smile that was obviously full of fond, possibly dirty, memories. " I love you." And she kissed her husband.

Max didn't mean to be staring. But as Max watched he wondered if he should get a bottle of Pepto-Bismol for the knots forming in his stomach. He sighed and made his way to the counter. With his newspapers, gum, and emergency feminine products for Veronica.

After he checked out, he sat in his car to considered what had just happened. He was jealous of Luke,... again. He had Lorelai, he had the life Max wanted all those years ago. But it wasn't meant to be, right? Max met Veronica in California, and they were serious, they were getting married, and she was willing to move cross country, away from her family, to be with him, so he could still teach, and she did not run away from him....Max wondered if Lorelai had smiliar pre-wedding jitters with Luke.

Then he saw them exit the store together. Lorelai waddling to the Jeep and Luke protectively steadying her, ever watchful of her every step since she could no longer see her feet. Max watch Luke open the door and help her inside. Max saw the kiss she planted on Luke's lips in thank you. He could see it again, of course she didn't run from Luke. He was the one she'd wanted all the time. He knew here inside and out. Their lives were fused together long before they even admited their feelings to each other. Their exchange inside the store proved that they fit together, the belonged together. No one else could have been more suited or made for each other.

Lorelai understood Luke, Luke understood Lorelai. And even though they probably still fought over coffee and burgers, they loved each other, and their relationship seemed to flow so easily.It was never work...it was natural.

So now the enternal question. Why was fate constantly dangling Lorelai Gilmore.... Lorelai Danes, he corrected, cruelly infront of him like this?

* * *

A**/N: I know I know, why? right,... well I got to thinking about Scary nipple man (after watching the season one DVD ...repeatedly....AHEM) any way,... I never liked Max(scary hairy nipple man, able to freak you out just by taking his shirt off.eeeeewwwwwwwwww), **

**and you know, I just wanted him to KNOW (and suffer) that he was right all those years ago... so nipple man haters unite and enjoy!!!**

**I think this is just one parter fic...It paractically wrote itself in like....5 hours....and dude this is the stuff tha happens when you watch the dvds repeatedly...LuvzAFunEthing you know what I'm talking about..!!!!**

**A/N2: Freddie Adu is the 15 year old Wunderkind soccer palyer on the DC united (my home town team!! DC UNITED clap clap ... clap clap clap, GO Freddie)**

**A/N3: answer to the enternal question, to MAKE HIM SUFFER insert EVIL LAUGHTER**

**A/N 4: I know the "Dream Twin" thing has been done to death...BUT twins hold a special place in my heart....(my mommy is a twin.) so I like the dream twins....and plus if they have a boy an da girl it's like jedi twins....hehehe...And lorelai isn't getting any younger, ire eggs are viable for only so long...they need to crank them out while they can!!! hehehe (again wth the forgeting to be polite and courtesous)**

**A/N 5: if you have idea where I can go with this please tell me....**

**What do you think?**

**R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,  
  
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."**

**Please be specfic with R/R; name one at least specific thing you like please!!! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)**

**Hence the Rant option bellow.**

**Insert Rant here V**


	2. Hey, How's It Going?

**Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here!**

**(HEY, I thought of an alternate title, Congratulations...on everything...huh? Good huh? pick the one you like....I don't mind...)**

**By Gilmoregirl1979**

**Another dedication: LuvzAFunEthing, my little spoiler pixie: hey what's going on...how you doing? (in brooklyn accent) so right, .... you have been the muse for this story, thanks....I really feel I've grown as a writer, and dude...this is really good if I do say so myself...thanks babe, for all you do, the jokes you make, and the sides you split (OY with the PAIN already!!)..... ....I hope Everyone likes it, and detailed reviews please**

**Rating: PG-13( just for the hell of it!!! diet coke!)**

**Hi this is your friendly disclaimer,: see chapter one, for this mumbo jumbo....**

**Summary: L/L,Future fic let's say...spring 2006? 2007 Maybe...(I suck at math) Luke and Lorelai as a cute couple, where is that pepto-bismol? Its just too cute!!!!please R/R you know, chapter one updated, and this chapter came quite out of now where, and from the requests that it continued.**

**R/R: yes please I love reviews, I wanna marry them (as stated before I have strange passions.) **

**Chapter one coments: I was sorta going for the whole "Pit of Dispair" (again with the Princess Bride) "we want... eveyone healthy before they are broken ..." LOL**

**A/N: BTW I did add a few Corrections to Chapter one(I'm a perfectionist that way)....just a few jokes,...and maybe some more uncomfortable emotions for Max(you know...make hims suffer MORE?) and a really nice reference in this chapter won't make sense unless you read it in CH 1 sorry,.....maybe give it a back and re-review Chapter 1 again....or re-read to refresh memory now...it's a FREE country......have fun....**

**My random thought for the day: Ask and you Shall receive, you all wanted it,...(and in my best brooklyn accent)...."you Got IT!!" seriously it means a lot that SOMEONE is reading my dribble...even more that one...hehehe..**

* * *

**Chapter 2  
****Hey How's It Going?**

"WOW!"

It was all she could say. The place looked so amazingly transformed since the last time she saw it. She still had the negatives from her previous trip here in a storage unit in New York, and smiled when she had come across them a few months ago. From nothing but the termites and over grown vines holding it together, to this beautiful, active, thriving Inn. Rachel could hardly beleive her eyes when she passed the sign on the highway.

"Lodging : Dragonfly Inn 5 miles take exit 23"

Before she knew it, she was taking exit 23 and pulling into one of the parking spaces. She just had to stop, to confirm her suspisions. Or if she was simply crazy, maybe it would be a good thing just to get out of the car for a while.

As soon as she stepped on the grounds, Rachel could sense Lorelai Gilmore's style and influence in every detail from the fountain in the front yard, to the rocking chair chosen for the porch, and all of the plants and flowers on the grounds, that made it look like a paradise, an Eden reborn.

When Rachel stepped on the porch, she recalled how Lorelai had poured her heart out, explaining the plan to make the Inn come back to life. And here Rachel stood, on that same spot, and the dream was reality. As she walked in the lobby, more evidence of Lorelai was present; from the Jukebox in the library, the wallpaper, the comment card basket on the stairs, even the curtains. Rachel smiled at how they poked fun at Luke's taste in curtains so many years ago. "_I think he's going to buy a matching rug_", Lorelai speculated. Rachel enjoyed the memory. She wanted to find Lorelai and congratulate her on achieving her goal.

Rachel did like Lorelai, She was smart, quick with the jokes. Maybe she was a little jealous, too. After all, Lorelai had stolen Luke's heart. Rachel didn't blame Lorelai, really. She did blame herself, _and rightly so!_ It was Rachel who left town, and concsequently, left Luke. It was Rachel who wanted a more exciting life than Stars Hollow had to offer. And It was Rachel, after realizing where his heart truly was, who stepped aside to let Luke be free to pursue his happiness,...with Lorelai.

_I wonder if he ever did?_ She had often wondered about that. Over the years, and through her photographic adventures, Rachel's mind would wander to a small town in Connecticut. To a humble diner, that still had it's former hardware sign out front. To a man with a backwards baseball cap, who didn't like change. Luke was a creature of habit. He wanted a simple life, the less varibles there were, the less likely things would get royaly screwed. Rachel had to smile at his stubborness, it was his steadfastness that made him so loyal, so devoted, but also that same devotion, to the past, to his father, and to his routine that drove her away from Stars Hollow in the first place.

After all these years, Rachel certainly hoped he finally embraced changed.

But back to her search for Lorelai. Rachel made her way to the front desk and to a very annoyed man, who, she could only assume, was waiting to be of service to his guests.

"Welcome to the Dragonfly Inn, My name is Michel how may I be of service?" he said with a french accent, and a hint of a whine.

"Yes, may I ask who is in charge of your advertising. Or maybe speak to the Inn's Manager?" Rachel asked cooly, not wanting to give away her hand just yet. She just had to surprise Lorelai if she could.

Just as snide as Michel could be "Why?"

Rachel smiled "I'm a photographer, and I think I could get some really great shots for any marketing campaign you might have going. And I also have many connections with certain magazines that may want to feature your Inn."

But, Michel wouldn't give an Inch, "Leave your business card, and I will pass along your message and suggestion."

_Man do I hate the French!!_Rachel had done serveral Stories in France. It was their superior air, and the way they could never directly answer a question. "Please, May I speak with the Manager."

A sinsiter smile spread across Michel's Face, one that gave Rachel the creeps, and made her skin crawl. "I am the acting manager. I will research your suggestion and present it to the Inn's Owners, alright, very well, good day."

"umm the Inn's Owners?"

Now Michel was visibliy getting annoyed. "Yes, The Inn's owners, the regular manager is on leave. Now if you'll excuse me, I have real guests to attend to." And he huffed off with his reservation book.

_Leave? What does that mean? Vacation?..._So she couldn't find Lorelai to congratulate. But Rachel had an Idea of where Lorelai might be, if for nothing else...for the Coffee.

* * *

Luke was behind the counter of the diner, checking a few receipts for errors. The bells above the door jingled, but he didn't bother to look up. He knew it wouldn't be her. Lorelai would be home taking it easy, as the doctor ordered.

Luke had to grin at this morning's scene, as he left Lorelai, feet up on the couch, with provisions within reach on the coffee table. Bottles of water, "to top off the pool"; assorted healthy snacks, that she would only eat as a matter of convience being the closest thing to her, and for the sake of her babies; various fashion magazines, to start eyeing what she wanted to wear when she got her figure back; books, to take her mind off the fashion magazines and how long it would take her to get her figure back. Lorelai was still trying to guilt him into "playing hooky", so she wouldn't be bored all day by herself.

**7 7 7 7 7 77 7 lucky 7 7 7 7 7 7 7**

"But I'll be all by my lonesome." Lorelai whined.

"Call Rory."

"Class."

"Call your mother"

"Okay, I'm pregnant, not medicated."

"Honey, you know I don't wanna go, but I have to."

She crossed her arms and began to pout "Sometimes I think you love that diner more than me."

"Not possible"

"Oh yeah, well what about last week, ..."

_And so it begins_ ...

"....and you didn't come home." the playfullness gone, she burried her face in her hands, Lorelai was starting to tear up.

Luke sighed to himself, _Hormones!_

"Lorelai, please, I told you, I thought I was getting sick I didn't want you to catch anything."

"What is the point of all that healthy crap you eat if you're gonna get sick!!"

"Lorelai..."

"and You left me here all alone!"

"Lorelai, Rory was here! You had the 'she's having a baby' movie marathon." trying to reason with a hormanal, emotional, pregnant woman. _Stupid, Stupid Man._

Now her tone was more accusing "You didn't want to come home cause you're not atrracted to me anymore. Cause now... I'm a ... I'm a beached whale." By now she was in full on sobs.

Amongst the provisions on the table were klennex, he handed her few. Which she stubbornly took. He had to figure out how to push the right buttons to get her back to her playful state of mind. He was going to be late for work, but he couldn't just leave her like this. He knelt by the couch, "Lorelai...you are not a beached whale. You are a beautiful pregnant woman, you are carrying our babies, .... " he tried to put his arms around her.

But, She shoved him away hard, "You did this to me! Get away from me!!"

"I don't remember you complaining at the time."

She scowled at her husband. "Go, go to your Stupid Diner! _You can just snuggle up to your cash registar, ... it's a little lumpy but it rings_." And she cried harder, and mourned the loss of her desirability.

"Okay I don't know what makes me more scared; **_what_** you're quoting or the fact that **_I know_** what your quoting."

She sniffled a little, "Hey you were right, you can be a moive guy?" she seemed to perk up a bit, peeking from the kleenex.

_Okay new approach_ "Hey what was that one you made me watch, with the guy looking for the book with the phone number in it..."

"Serendiptiy?" she said hopefully, through a few tears.

"Yeah, do you want me to pick that up and we can watch it tonight? You and me, alone on the couch, ...."

"(A) I'm so Fat, you wouldn't fit and (B) Serendiptiy? So you can oogle over Kate Beckensale for 2 hours, right in front of me, I don't thinks so..."

_Damn it, okay new tactic._ He didn't want to do it. But desperate times called for desperate measures. And he said it.

"Oy, with the poodles aleady!" and he gave her a look.

It worked! Just as he knew it would. In an instant she was laughing, not just at the words, but of course, who was saying them. Now only humorus tears fell down her face. "poodles..." she echoed grinning. _It had to be one of the funniest words in the world, Top Five easy_. Like a magic incantation, it seemed to snap her out of the mood swing. And she smiled at him in thanks... she knew she didn't have to worry, hell she was having twins, wasn't she. _Those are some potent Danes genes. He he he Jeans...Dirty...Not for another few weeks. _She sighed as she took his hand, and stroked it. She loved his hands. These hands made coffee, when she was not pregnant; These hands massaged her sore muscles, from being pregnant; these hands had caught her so many times, when she had almost gone off the deep end.

"Luke?"

"Yes Dear?"

And she giggled at his joking tone, "I'm sorry, I know I'm not the easiest pregnant woman to get along with..."

"You're pregnant? I didn't even notice" Luke was now sitting on the couch next to her, and he kissed her lips.

Her smile widened at the gesture.

"Forgetting about our children already? That isn't an encouraging sign."

A smile which he returned."You gonna be okay now?" as he stroked her cheek to remove the few remaining tears.

"Yeah," she said sheepsihly, a little embarassed at how the hormones could get the best of her. _But then again, when am I not a drama queen?_ It was nice to have someone around during the pregnancy, she never had that before. She dropped out of high school and was the shunned girl no one talk about, even by her parents. Chris had left for California already. _Idiot, just cause I didn't want to marry you didn't mean not to be involved or help out_. But it was for the best, she supposed. And now, she had Luke, who treated her like a queen, drama or other wise. Well, he did that all the time, but even more so now, with their precious cargo.

"Hey, you want me to bring you lunch?" he offered

"I don't know, can I think about it? "

"Sure, I'll call and check in okay? ... now do me a favor? Do as the doctor said and take it easy...I only want you off this couch if you need to pee."

Lorelai giggled "you said pee."

"Alright, Beavis"

"Does that make you Butthead?"

Luke rolled his eyes, but played along, "Which one wore a baseball cap?"

"Neither?"

"Then I'm neither, call me if you need anything, or if ...you know...it happens"

"I will" she beamed.

"I love you, Crazy Lady."

"I love you, Coffee Man"

He gave her a long kiss goodbye, to let her know she was still the only one he wanted. And left her to her copy of "What to Expect when You're Expecting Twins." Which she was just now starting.

**7 7 7 7 77 7 7 lucky number 7 7 7 7 77 7 7** 7

He laughed to himself at this mornings memory. The door jingeld again, bringing him back to the here and now, but the smile remained.

"Hey stranger? A smile looks good on you!"

A familiar voice from the past snapped his head to attention.

"Rachel?"

"Yeah, hi there" she put down her camera bag and took a seat at the counter. Luke looked exactly the same, maybe more clean shaven, still in the flannel and ball cap. _No change for this guy._

Rachel looked good, but tired, like years of traveling had caught up with her, but she was still attractive. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I just got off an assignment and I figured I was due for a visit, 6 years seems to be the predermined number. I'd check in with my old stomping grounds. And see how you were?... you look Good."

"Well I am good,..." really considering the last few years, "Hell, I'm great!" thinking of impending fatherhood, "I'm just stunned to see you? ... Ummm coffee?"

"Please." Finding it strange he offered the "black death" so freely.

"So, How are you?" as he got the mug and pot.

"I'm fine, ... I'm married..."

"Really? ... Nice guy?" he said, casually, while pouring.

She began staring at him, she didn't know why. It was like time had stood still, and at the same time there was.... Something. "...Yeah, Colin, ... he's acutally a journalist, he's words, my pictures, it's a match made in heaven!"

"Sounds it, how'd you met? Maybe I should say where?" he chuckled.

_Was that a joke? From Luke Danes?_ Something was different, _Well, of course, Rachel, it has been like 6 years, but Luke is a creature of habit, he hasn't changed...has he?_ She had to admit, she didn't know Luke as well as she used to. So many new memories with Colin and experiences had taken the diner man's place. She didn't foreget everything mind you, but she wasn't pinning for what might have been. At the same time she found it strange, something in Luke's manner seemed...different. _6 years,...Something must have changed._

"ummmm, actually New York, we pasted by in the office from time to time.....that is how it started..."

"So, any kids?"Luke asked.

_What an odd question from Luke?_ "What ... oh, no, we move around to much, assignment to assignment, our perminent address is the magazine we work for..."

"That must be tough" he felt bad for her. He wasn't even a father yet , but he felt so fulfilled already. He knew it would be a lot of work, but he still couldn't wait for it all to begin!!! He grinned again, he just couldn't help himself.

_Something was definitely different_. She wondered if he had taken her advice, from all those years ago, _Maybe he had embraced change?_ Little did she know her answer was waddling down the street at that very moment.

"So, Luke what have you been up to? Tell me Everything." but he didn't seem to hear her. His attention was fixed outside the diner, toward the square.

"I don't believe this." He muttered to himself.

The Diner door jingled. And Rachel turned toward the sound.

"LUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKEEEEE" a very pregnant Lorelai sang as she waddled into the diner. She was all sunshine and radiance. _Mood swings_, Luke shook his head to himself, and was at Lorelai's side in a flash, Rachel forgotten.

Jumping right into the lecture. "Lorelai, what are you doing here? The doctor told you to take it easy."

Lorelai kissed her husband, "The doctor also said walking might induce labor."

"Well, I don't want you inducing ANYTHING if I'm not around, here, sit down." Leading her over to the table closest to the door.

"Luke we have a plan, we have a bag at the ready, we have contingency plan after contingency plan, the entire town is on Red Alert, we're good, Relax!"

"Fine," pulling out the chair for her, and helping her into it. "I take it you're here for my lunch offer?"

"Only if you will eat with me?" she batted her eyes.

"Of course, ... now, What will you have?"

"A Tall glass of chocolate milk." She said slowly..simply for the dramatic effect.

There was pause.

"And..." Luke added expectantly.

"And I love you?" Lorelai replied confused.

"Lorelai, you are eating for three, this is one of those chances where I will let you eat as much as you want, I suggest you take it."

_Three?_ Rachel was confused. Certainly not by how protective Luke was of Lorelai, or how sweetly he treated her, not even by the idea of them being married and having a kid, _but eating for three?_

"As much as I want of tofu ..." she made a face "Well let's start with the milk and see what the boys want..."

"The boys?" Luke asked mildly amused.

"I have a feeling" she said with an EPS grin, completely confident and proud.

"Well at 5 this morning the 'feeling' was one of each, two days ago it was Wilma and Betty, your 'feelings' change day to day, just so you can always say 'you were right',... and for the last time, we are not naming our kids after cartoon characters."

"You're cute when you're angry." Nothing could spoil this good mood.

"I'm not angry, I'm trying to reason, there is a difference. So please, tell me, what do you want??"

Lorelai considered, "Hmmmmm, what I _want _or what you will _give_ me? Cause you know _what_ I _want_" refering to her lack of coffee for the last 8 months.

Luke smiled at his wife "Dirty ... and not for another 4 weeks" with suggestive eyebrows.

Lorelai's eyes went wide, catching his full meaning, "Lucas Danes, to a pregnant woman and in public!!!"

He still teased, "It's okay when the pregnant woman is my wife...besides you are a bad influence on me, ... now, same question"

"Well I _meant_ I want coffee,.."

"Not for another 4 weeks" not budging.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes, "Well, what kind of soup do you have?" Thinking of toping off the pool again.

"I made a batch of veggie, with extra zucchinni"

"Hey man, I just sleep with zucchini, I don't eat em."

_Okay, what? Must be a private joke...of some sort?_ This was too werid to try to follow, even for Rachel's taste.

"Again Dirty." Luke replied, "...Make you a deal, you eat two bowls of soup, and you can have pie, a slice for each baby."

_AHH twins!_

"What about my slice?"

"Gonna cost you another bowl" Luke haggled.

"What about ala mode?" Lorelai countered.

"Depends on how fast you eat the soup..." Luke teased, but he'd probably give it to her anyway. _The woman is carrying my babies..._

"Well, start ladeling, Coffee Man."

_Ah the art of compromise,_ Luke thought, _I do love being married._

Rachel could tell Luke was more than pleased with how the negotiations had gone, as he headed straight into the kitchen to place her order.

Suddenly her reflection was interrupted by a black hair girl tapping her shoulder.

"I'm sorry what?"

"More Coffee?" the asian girl asked.

"uuhh Yes please... and could have have some of the soup?"

"Sure"

"Hey Lane" Luke called from the kitchen.

The young woman met Luke at the kitchen Door, Luke only poking his head out, but it just enough for Rachel to still hear him. "Orders are up, oh and Lane, Thanks again for coming back to town, and helping out, I know you guys were on your tour, but ... it really means a lot."

"Luke, trust me, it's not exactly a tour, just outdoor festivals and things. The band need a break anyway. Sides, like we'd miss the biggest event in this town since your wedding."

"Well, thanks again, so I'm gonna take my lunch with Lorelai soon, okay,"

"I've got your back boss! Oh and we need another soup for the counter."

Luke looked over at the counter and for the first time since seeing Lorelai lumber down the street, and He remember Rachel.

And he went over to her, "Oh, Rachel, I'm so sorry, I just got ... distracted..."

"I can see that ... Twins??"

The smile was back,... "Yeah!" he confirmed. "Hey you wanna say hi? I'm sure Lorelai would love to see you....you two always had fun,...usually at my expense...join us, I'll bring your food over there..." and Luke disappered into the kitchen again.

So here it was...she had to face Lorelai. Now Mrs. Luke Danes. Rachel picked up her bag, and went to the table by the door.

She used the same light hearted greeting she used for luke. "Hey Stragner?"

Lorelai's head snapped up "Oh My God, Rachel?", she was really happy and surprised to see her.

Rachel took a seat across from Lorelai, leaving one for Luke to sit beside his...wife? _Man that just sounds werid?_

"What on earth are you doing here!!" Lorelai was still chipper and excitable.. "We figured you lost in Burundi or something...."

"Well I just go back to the country from Russia, actually. I arrived in Boston, and was driving back to New York, and I saw a sign for the Dragonfly... and just said 'I wonder if this is Lorelai's doing'...."

"Did you see it?" she said excitedly.

"Yes, the transformation,.... it's just incredible, Lorelai."

"What's incredible?" Luke asked, bringing his wife her requested chocolate milk.

"How slow the service is!" Lorelai teased.

"Do you not see the lunch rush that is in here right now?" Gesturing to full tables and and clanging flatware. "...even so I'm taking my lunch break, to be with you." Luke leaned down, a hand on the back of her chair, and the other flat on the table, and kissed his wife's forhead, to drive his point home.

"You are just eating with me to make sure I eat every bite of your health nut soup."

"Damn, you are on to my evil plans."

Lorelai shook a finger at him, and gave him a mock frown, "Language!"

"Yeah I know...I'm sorry", an apology he seemed to dedicate to Lorelai's stomach.

"Good boy,...now food!!! Would you have me starve and be forced to call child protective services?"

Before he left, he kissed Lorelai again, then went to get the bowls.

Rachel was just in awe. Luke showing public affection. Luke Joking...Luke about to become a father. It was a lot to process in a short amount of time. The last time Rachel just dropped in, the only change was a fresh coat of paint in the Diner. Now, he was married, and expecting twins, ... happy.

"Rachel?"

"What I'm sorry?"

"How have you been?"

"Oh you know, I'm still pissed at Kodak for discontinuing Film Cameras...oh, I'm married too, Colin, he's a journalist...I was just telling Luke before you walked in. "

"You sure you are okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just ... glad to see you and Luke ...Finally together, and happy."

"You and half of Conneticut... We are happy, to the point of nauseam at times..." Lorelai chuckled "...but it's not always so easy you know. There were a lot of obstacles and work to be done before we could be so insanley happy."

"Oh ... like what...?" now she would get it, the girl talk, the dirt, the real story on how long Luke actually took to tell her.

"Well, I almost got married to someone else,...for one. Oh then there was Luke's nightmare of a nephew...."

"Jess?"

"Oh, you know him?"

"Met him a few times, when he was little, never trusted him."

"Well he wasn't much of a treat during puberty, and he dated my daughter, much to my dismay. It was her bad boy phase. But he's much better now, mostly cause of Luke.." Lorelai smiled at her husband as he settled a bill at the registar, if Luke could work miracles with Jess, his own children would be a cake walk.

"Well that's good to know. One less hoodlum to worry about..right?"

Lorelai agreed, "Exactly ...let me see what else was there...oh well of course the Independence Inn burned down, which is sort of what freed me to buy and restore of the Dragonfly..." and she strained for another example "Oh God, then there was whole _Nicole_...thing......." Lorelai said bitterly, and clearly annoyed.

Again, Rachel was confused... "Nicole?"

"Luke's Ex-Wife" Lorelai stated matter-of-factly before taking a long sip of her milk.

Rachel's eyes went wide, and was paralyzed from the shock. _Luke's Ex-wife?... Now THAT sounds really werid?_

"Luke and Nicole were dating for a while, she was Taylor's lawyer ... that is how they met..."

"Luke and a Lawyer, ... Married ?!?!"_ Luke hates lawyers! He despises them, actually. Yet he dated one?? Married one??_

Lorelai finally sensed the confusion on Rachel's part, and Lorelai consoled, "Oh don't feel bad he didn't tell me at first either. Granted I was in Europe when it all went down. You see it was a very impulsive,... very STUPID,.... Mistake! It was totally out of the blue, we are talking the love boat, ... literally. It happened on a cruise..." Lorelai added as an aside, taking another sip of milk.

_Luke? on a cruise? Hell, Luke out of Stars Hollow? How long was I gone again?_

Lorelai continued, "They were gonna divorce right away, but _SHE_ convinced him they should try it for a while, see how it fit, I mean hello, it's a marrige not a pair of shoes." Lorelai seemed to pause, hormones possibly trying to get the better of her. "...But it didn't work out, not even a year, and they got divorced,...." and in a hushed voice Lorelai added "She cheated on him with a Sockman..."

_A what?_

"I had to bail him out of jail for beating up the guy's car."

_WHAT? Luke doesn't get into fights. Especially not with inanimate objects. _The Idea of anyone cheating on Luke was beyond Rachel. She tried to picture the complete idiot that would do such a horrible thing to such a great guy. Luke had it all, Mr. Fix-it, he could cook, he was loyal and sweet, thoughtful when he put in the effort. Rachel imagined the kind of pain that would have caused Luke. She was thankful that he had a friend like Lorelai to turn to in that situation. Obviously, everything had worked out for the best, the way it was supposed to.

Luke returned with two bowls of soup, and bread for each of the ladies. But he had to get his lunch from the kitchen still, and sense they were still in serious Girl Talk by the look on Rachel's face. "I'll be right back,..."

"Be right here..." Lorelai smiled, only to happy to have some sustenance to feed the children inside her. She began to eat as rachel seemed to be recovering from her history lesson.

Rachel was still taking in the Luke was married...to someone NOT Lorelai information.

_Huh? We things definitely changed while I was gone. _"Well I guess it didn't take long....her being a lawyer..."

"You ain't kidding, he got it done at a Mailboxes Etc."

_Huh? Practical, Now that is the Luke I know._

"So how long till you finally got together??"

"Not long after the sock man and his divorce was final. We had a mock date to his sister's wedding,...."

_Liz married ... again? _

_Mock date?_

Lorelai instinctively explained, "... he knew it was a date but I didn't. Anyway, the test run for the inn came around and by that time, I realized 'hey may that WAS a date', so I'm all giddy and nervous, running in to things, knocking things over when ever I was around him. And that night, we had a fight, we were arguing over 'us' and what exactly we were to each other... and he kissed me. And then I kissed him back...and the rest is history...we got married a year later..."

He didn't like how Lorelai was leaning forward and whispering, like she was talking about taboo subjects. But now, Luke could tell by the Lorelai's gesticulations, the topic had lightened up again. So, he came back with his bowl and the second bowl for his wife, and sat next to Lorelai, "How is it?"

"Mondo Fabulous! I should call you Soup Man from now on..."

"Don't you dare!"

"Why not?"

"We are legally bound to 'Coffee man', you used it in your vows."

"Bound by who?"

"_God_!" Luke said dryily, as he dipped some bread in his soup and took a bite.

And Lorelai just beamed in response. _I do love being married._

Rachel was pleased that it all had worked out so well, despite the tortoise pace and a few bumps in the road. _Luke...divorced? from a lawyer?? At a Mailboxes Etc.??_

Through Lorelai's third bowl, they casually chatted. Rachel told them more about Colin, and their misadventures around the globe. And Luke and Lorelai were content to share their simple small town stories about Taylor's Megolomania, small town events and antics, and to brag about Rory's achievements at Yale.

"So is she excited about having siblings?" Rachel asked in awe as Lorelai polished off her second pie ala mode.

"She is a little concerned about the age difference...but other than that she's over the moon." To Luke "More please...you owe me one more piece, baby! I had three bowls"

Luke smiled,..._AGAIN with the smiling Luke...?_ "what kind do you want this time?"

"hmmm, I've had cherry, blueberry, I never really liked the peach." She seemed to make a face. "What about another blueberry? They are twins after all, must treat them equally."

"Alright, I'll be right back." He kissed her cheek, and was off for her pie.

"You get treated like a queen." Rachel commented.

"Yeah, he's great...I still get Pissed that it took us so long sometimes..."

Luke came back, "Language", and placed the pie/ice cream combo infront of her.

Lorelai patted her stomach, "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

"Well, I better get going." Rachel said, "it was nice seeing you both everything"

Rachel gathered her bag, and went to the counter, to pay for her lunch. She looked back at the couple. Her photographer instinct had take over and she took out her camera and snapped a few candids of the happy growing family, at the table. She replaced the lense cap and received her change. The couple's lunch complete, and Lorelai's world famous perserverance had won Luke over and he agreed to take the rest of the day off, and Rachel overheard just how...

"Honey, will you take me to the Dragonfly?"

"Were are not supposed to go there unless we have a stroller."

"Luke, I miss Sookie, I even miss Michel,..."

"Really?"

"Luke please let me visit my friends..."

"You are not going in your office,"

"But I need to make sure Michel did the supply orders correctly."

"Fine, We will visit, we will walk around the grounds for your labor inducing....whatever... but you are NOT going into your office."

"But what if Michel repainted it...or moved my stuff and tried to feng shui everything...or something..."

"Then I will repaint it, move everything back and _persuade_ him not to do it ever again... in my own special way."

"You are so good to me." As Lorelai pictured Michel, in a Luke Danes head lock.

"High time you noticed. Let me just check in with Ceasar okay..."

Luke noticed Rachel about to head out, "Hey Rachel, it was good to see you again." And Luke hugged her..._He actually hugged me?_ "Take care", and Luke headed for the kitchen.

One more passing goodbye for Lorelai, more of a smile and a wave. And Rachel got in her rental car. A thought had gotten into her head that she could not shake.

So she waited.

A few minutes Later Luke and Lorelai came out of the diner and Luke helped his wife, _That still sounds werid_, into his truck.

Rachel followed the couple to the Inn she had just come from.

Luke and Lorelai went around the back via the vegtable Garden and Sookie came out on the Back porch. Rachel followed, at a safe distance, with her Camera at the Ready.

After the necesarry visit with her hyper friend, the labor inducing walk began around the grounds. Rachel kept her slower pace, and occasionally shutter bugged. Much like any of her animal safari assignments, it was like she wanted to observe Luke and Lorelai in their natural habitat. She wasn't present for the initial courtship ritual. But maybe she could learn something from observing their behavior.

Then all of a sudden, they turned off the path, and headed for a secluded area of trees. Rachel was too far away to hear their conversation, but she could tell this place was signifigant to them, and snapped a few pictures. Luke was holding both of Lorelais hands, and speaking from his heart .The light streaming through the trees was amazing, and almost gave the couple a magical glow. Before she knew it Luke was kissing Lorelai, no doubt a small sample of what would come after the twins were born.

The couple headed back to the Inn, hand in hand.

As Rachel descretly followed, she considered how her life would be differernt if she had stayed with Luke back in 2001, hell if she had stayed in 1995. but she could see how happy he was, how literally picture perfect the scene was. She mulled over the pictures now on her camera. And thought she'd send them the copies as a baby gift, and a belated wedding gift, making sure to include the one she snapped of Luke and Lorelai, at the firelight festival.

Just then her cell phone Rang. "Rachel Munroe."

An a deep irish accent come over the phone. "Hey Baby, did you land yet? There's not a flight attendent scowling at you is there?"

_Colin._

"No, I landed a few hours ago, I just stopped off on the way home to see some ...old friends."

"Oh that's good baby, well, I can't wait to see you, I've missed you so much, I'll show you how much when you get home. I'll see you at the Loft tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way, I love you."

"I love you too!"

Rachel had to smile. She had a wonderful life, an amazing husband, whom she would never have met had she stayed in Conneticut.

_Yeah, everything definitely worked out for the best._

* * *

**A/N: I have no idea what route road highway you would take to get to the dragonfly...like wise I don't know the exit number either....sorry. lol nitpickers....**

**A/N: the whole bottles of watter/ topping off the pool joke....that is what my sister called it. her doctor told her to keep hydrated and constantly drink water. So she called it topping off the pool (what the baby was swimming in...her belly...you know...) I thought it was funny so here it is in my story...**

**A/N: Can anyone name where the "It's a little lumpy but it rings" line is from...huh huh can ya? (I'm challenging that way!)**

**A/N: hehehehe the "black death". lol**

**A/N: no idea what rachel's last name is , they never said.. **

**A/N: YES that place they go to ..the secluded trees,...that is where the kiddies wer concieved, suttle yes...but she wasout of ear shot...side I like rachel...she don't need to know....Now Max, he needs to suffer...hell yes....**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -**

**What do you think? **

**R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,  
  
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest." **

**  
Please be specfic with R/R; name one at least specific thing you like please!!! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)**

**Hence the Rant option bellow.  
**

**Insert Rant here V**


	3. Not As Before

**Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here! **

**By GilmoreGirl1979**

**Rating: PG-13( Why? ... because WE LIKE IT !!!!) **

**Hi this is your friendly disclaimer,: see chapter one, for this mumbo jumbo....**

**Summary: L/L,Future fic let's say...spring 2006? 2007 Maybe...(I suck at math) Luke and Lorelai as a cute couple, Please R/R you know, this chapter came from the requests that it continue. Hope you like R/R and tell me.....**

**Previously on Gilmore Girls: (last chapter after thoughts)  
-just so you know,..my fav part in the last chapter is the morning banter/mood swing....hehhehe.**

**- I forgot to mention, "the Beached whale" line, that is another catch phrase my sis and I have.... Whenever we eat too much, its "I feel like a Beached Whale", usually on Tuesdays, after chinesse food and Gilmore Girls. (it's Tradition...that way!)**

**-And oops I did it again, (Spear Britney) I updated chapter 2 with corrections, (I'm a perfectionsit...that way) ...I know I know, but I only want to make you all happy...I correct and update because I care...I add witty dialogue cause I'm a meticulous, anal, prefectionist(seriously ask Luvz), and I get really intuned and creative at werid times...like in hindsight....LOL do the same thing like before, give it a month and come back to it...or re-read now and refresh your memory...either is good.  
  
Random thought 'O' the day: Don't forget the peoples that got you here!**

**On THAT note, the SHOUT OUTs: (Damn they are longer than the story....)**

**LuvzAFunEthing: ...hey, TWIST and SHOUT... SURPRISE, I know this isn't what we discussed....but enjoy it anyway...(don't worry _IT'S_ coming...WINK, again with the being a perfectionsit that way...) and BTW it totally was killing me not being able to discuss this CH with you...but I wanted it to be a surprise...did it work??? Are you surprised? I have to keep you on your toes, LADY WOMAN....I know, I know, I'm a meanie, you can B!# (in great Detail, I'm counting on it...) when we talk!! Okay....or in a review...or both even!!! Again either is good. btw thanks for the kick in the pants....**

**Hey, there daiszee bear,(may I call you that?) I'm so glad that I can induce happy dances (I like happy dances. The are FUN!!! ). It makes me feel special, really special, like I have a fan club...you know... thanks for being a fan,... **

**BTW your prize( I don't recall mentioning one,... but okay.) is my admiration, and the swelling of pride that you , yes YOU ,were the FIRST To name it!! CONGRATULATIONS. BROWNIE POINTS, ... unfourtuanley the brownie points won't get you actual brownies...I'm sorry,... Hey and there is a comfort that you are not the only one who was raised on musicals....me too. Hehehe. **

**Pokey, I do rule, don't I .............thank you for noticing...**

**HEY SamSon, I hope you found this again (R/R mulitple times, just so I know you're okay... then I won't worry...hehehe)....and I hope you enjoy it... ;o)**

**Scubaluver: Let it be known I love Rachel (as a character, nothing dirty) I do, ask Luvz ... I do...she is sassy and Damn cool, but see here(in this story), she has Colin (thanks to I'm not strange you are, who still needs to update ex's nuptuals..GRRR). ... she is happy, she led the life she wanted, with a like minded guy. And hey, now she knows Luke is okay and not a bitter, old, lonely man tormented by The Banyan boys (and knowing is half the Battle, GI JOE). She can focus on the shutter bugging and not have her mind wander to the diner anymore...hehehe. And as far as your Nicole comment......(trying to supress the giggles)....I will give you this bit comfort...(holding back the snickers, ... chuckles....not the candy bar)..........**

**(looks left, .... looks right,....looks at Scubaluver)**

.........**.WAIT FOR IT.........**

**(please insert devious grin & WINK, ... oh hell add wringing hands too...HA HA HA)**

**A/N: this opening sequence is my favorite part....just thought you outta know...I think I'll give it my EPPY WORTHY AWARD, (it's my award, I can do that...) as you read just picture Scott, Lauren and Co., ...(seriously it's like the spoke through me....creepy)**

**Enjoy!!!**

**R/R: yes please I love reviews, I wanna marry them (as previously stated I have strange passions.)**

**You already know the opening is my fav, so tell me how the rest is....

* * *

****Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here!  
Chapter 3:  
Not As Before**

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 LUCKY 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

_God, I love moments like this_, he thought.

It was peaceful, quiet and warm. There may not be many more moments like this for a while, but with twins on the way, he suspected things would only get better. In the wee small hours of the morning, Luke and Lorelai were lying in bed, spooning. For months now, they had taken to wearing nothing at all to bed, incubator Lorelai generated enough heat. It was just them and the sheets. _There is nothing more beautiful than a Pregnant Naked Lorelai._ A content Luke had a his arm around his wife, and a hand resting on her warm belly; just to be close to his kids and her at the same time.

"Luke?"

"Hmmm" only half asleep.

"Do you think we're ready?"

He sleepily replied "I hope so, ... there will be no room left in this house if you keep buying baby stuff." _For little humans, they sure require a lot._ He suspected that it was more Lorelai's love of shoppng that motivated the purchases. Plus, everything miniture is just "so cute", ... her words, not his. Ever since the pregnancy was confirmed she had been ordering from catalogs, shopping with Emily and Rory, and hiding little flannel shirts and ballcaps around the house, hoping to surprise Luke. He never told her he found them, he would just hate to disappoint her.

"That's not what I meant." She was wide awake, and seemed nervous.

Luke could tell she was scared about doing it all over again. "I know," and he became more awake, sensing the conversation had turned serious, so he gave her a comforting squeeze. "... you meant to be parents...and yes, we are ready. You've already done this before,...and I've been grinning like an idiot since these two were conceived" he rubbed her stomach "... And you won't be alone this time, I will be there every step of the way", and he kissed her shoulder, "I'm not going anywhere."

"You'll have to change diapers." Lorelai said, as if that one fact would make him walk away from his family.

"A burden I will gladly share." He would have none of the pessimism.

"They might spit up on you."

"Then I won't wear my good flannel."

"There is going to be two of everything." Still trying to give him an acurate picture.

"Oh, is that what twins means? Thank you for clearing that up."

"They will cry ... A LOT!" still attempting to be realistic.

"I would expect nothing less, especially knowing there mother." He teased into her ear.

She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow "You're funny, you'll look funnier sleeping at the diner."

"If I slept at the diner, then how could I help with the babies."

"Damn, good point"

"Language" his tired voice sing songed through a yawn, as he inhaled the scent of her hair.

"Sorry" she mimicked.

There was a long pause. Luke could tell that wasn't it, there was something else bothering her. He now seemed to notice just how tense her body was. He could almost hear something turning in her mind, over and over. Then, he noticed, she was staring at the clock.

"Lorelai? What is it...?"

"Are we ready to be parents?" this time with a hint of panic.

"Honey, you just asked me that..."

"No, I mean right now..are you ready to be a dad?" her voice sounded more urgent.

"What?"

"I think ... I'm having contractions." And she now sounded strained.

"What!?! How far?"

"I don't know, I keep loosing count, ... I think I've been having them since dinner."

"You were having contracitons all night, through the movie, as we went to bed, you didn't tell me,... and you insisted on a last minute 'are we ready' freak out."

"Luke, the heartburn felt the same way, and by the way, I am freaking now, out cause MAN these really starting to hurt." She winced, with broken breath, "It's amazing ... what you can ...block out... after 20 years." She was holding Luke's hand, and squeezing very hard.

"Okay, okay," Luke pulled away the covers,with his free hand. "It's Alright, Lorelai, it's okay, we can do this" he soothed as he sat up next to her.

Through clenched teeth she barked "What's this 'we' crap."

Luke helped her sit up in bed. She was on the edge of the matress, and he was close behind her with his legs spread on either side of hers, his chest against her back. He whispered in her ear. "Honey, I just want you to breath, okay breath just like we practiced, okay? I'm gonna call Rory, okay" grabbing the phone from the nightstand.

Lorelai only nodded with a forced breath. Then leaned her head back on his shoulder, eyes closed towards the ceiling, focused only on her breath to get her through the contraction. Both of her hands now squeezed on Luke's right forearm, which he offered to her freely. Thank goodness for one touch dialing.

"This had better be good!" a very cranky Rory grumbled over the phone.

"Rory, it's Luke, ... she's going into labor... I need you to call everyone, call Emily and Richard first, Okay!... tell 'em to meet us at the hospital."

Rory was snapped awake by his voice, "Oh my God now!!!" _I'm gonna be a big Sis_ "... Alright, I'm on it." she scrambled out of her bed to find the phone list.

"You wanna talk to your mom, give her some ... girl power...or something."

"Sure." Rory had to chuckle at the comment, how straight it was delivered and how calm Luke seemed to be, given the situation.

Luke held up the phone to Lorelai's ear.

"Mom? How you doing?"

"Okay," she choked, "but from now on, we are making Mother's day the BIGGEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR."

"Will do, the parade prep starts tomorrow. Now you are going in with a great coach and husband, please return with the same, OKAY, don't kill Luke during the delivery."

"Mental Note: do not kill husband, Got it!! I'll try to behave myself, but now... I'm a little busy right now...." She grunted.

"Okay, have a great delivery, I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm gonna call everyone, okay, and Relax."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have life forms bursting outta your..."

"And that's enough girl talk! " Luke pulled the phone away, not wanting to know how she planned on finishing that sentence. "Rory, make the calls."

"I will, I'll see you soon."

"Okay kiddo, drive safe."

"You too, Congrats. Love you!"

"Love you, too! Bye."

And he hung up the phone, and just threw it behind him onto the bed, focused on his wife again.

"Luke, ..."she said weakly. Head back on his shoulder again, talking to the ceiling.

"It's okay, I'm here, ... it's over?" and he soothed his hands over her round stomach.

"For now..., I think it hurts more cause it's twins." She panted.

"That seems logical"

"Please don't go all Spock on me," shaking her head, "just get me to the damn doctor"

"Language."

"Ok, please, for the next 48 hours I'm gonna be cussing like a sailor."

"Then I'll be sure to put soap in your first cup of coffee."

"Not a good idea while breast feeding."

"Neither is the coffee, ... come on, Mommy, let's go."

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Luke had dressed quickly and grabbed _the bag_. He found Lorelai's maternity dress, the one she bought for just such an occasion, "the delivery dress", and helped her put it on. Lorelai looked into his eyes as he helped her with the garment, and saw his sheer joy present. She had nothing to worry about, "the Plan" had been settled long ago, and Luke was taking care of everything, taking care of her. As he reminded her now "All you have to do is breath." He was calm , collected and excited; a pillar of strength, just for her. All she could think of was how glad she was that THIS time would not be like the last time.

Last time, she had taken a cab by herself.

Today, her husband was driving her.

Last time, her parents were angry because she left without telling them.

Today, Luke made it a point to have Richard and Emily on top of the list, so they would meet them there. They would be honored, excited, present, and eager to start the trust funds.

Last time, she was surrounded by strangers in the delviery room. Chris no where to be found.

Today, the father, Luke, would be on one side, coaching and present, as he should be. The other side would have Rory, the first baby, provided she made it in time. And countless friends pacing in the waiting room, wearing the carpet to the floor boards.

Last time, it was bittersweet. She had gotten Rory, her angel, her heart. but Chris was leaving, wanting nothing to do with parenting at 16. She was left alone, a teenager with a child to raise, and still very much a child herself.

Today, was all sweet, labor pains aside. Her family was growing. The Stars Hollow family was growing. These babies were already beloved in a community of wacky neighbors and close friends.

Today would be not as before. And that was a good thing.

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"Richard, Drive faster, I don't want to be late"

"Emily, there are such things as traffic laws, I need to obey them."

"Your only daughter has gone into labor, she is bringing two more grandchildren into this world as we speak. We have to be there."

"Emily, we will be there. Do try and relax."

"We should have had them stay at our house. It's much closer to the hospital."

"Then we will probably arrive before them."

"... And her house with all those stairs."

"Emily, We have three times as many stairs in our house! Besides, that wouldn't have been pratical, Luke works in Stars Hollow, who are we to ask him to make that commute every day. Would you have the father miss the delivery himself?"

"Well of course not."

There was a pause.

"Just hurry, Richard, please."

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_How did we beat my parents here? _

Granted she never seen Luke drive that fast. Lorelai thinks it may have been Kirk running up to Jeep that made Luke's foot so suddenly heavy. Bless Patty though, as soon as they were driving through the square of Stars Hollow, people were already in their yards, bathrobe clad, cheering the Jeep as it past. It really was a strange little town.

The fetal monitor around her stomach, beeping and doing it's thing, Lorelai had merely closed her eyes to humor Luke, to give the appearance of resting. He was really quiet, so she risked a peek, and she admired him. At her side, he was holding her hand tightly, and intently watching the monitors, listening to the heartbeats of the babies, lost in the anticipation of their new arrivals. She wasn't alone. She smiled. _Not as before._

"Luke?"

"HMMM?" clearly distracted.

"We need girls names..."

"What...?" his eyes narrowed, as he refoucused on her, snapped out of his trance.

"We have plenty of boys names, we need to think, in case they are girls, ... oh God I'm a horrible Mother...I used up all the good names on inaimate objects around the house. What am I gonna call them if we have girls, 'hey you'...that's not me and my girls that's me and my mom, I don't wanna be one of those freak celebraites naming my kid after fruit or nature, or crap like that....."

"Lorelai calm down..." Not needing to hear the rant about the stupid names celebraites give their kids. Luke settled on the bed behind her, just as he did at home. "Come on, lean back, relax, and breath."

_Yeah, this is definitely better than last time_, as she leaned against her human pillow. Luke rubbed the sides of her belly, to comfort and massage, but maybe also to channel the names from the kids themselves.

"Comfy...?" and he kissed the side of her head.

"Very..."

"You relaxing..."

"Till the next contraction."

"Okay then...... 'A' names...." And he began to think "...Amelia,... Alana,... "

They had some time to kill.

_Not as before._

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"Hello"

"Jess, it's time."

"Time for what"

"To do the time warp, what do you think!"

"Who is this?"

"Jess, It's Rory!"

"Oh hey, ... what are you talking about?"

"Your uncle, my mom, having babies, right now!!"

"OH, THAT TIME!... Geez, how long?"

"I don't know, I'm making the calls"

"Ok, ok, ummm, I'm gonna see what I can do about a flight...which hospital?"

"Hartford Memorial."

"Okay, I'll see you there. and hey congrats, Cous!"

"You too, Cous!"

Now that Rory had finished the phone tree, she could focus on driving to her new silbings. As fast and safely as possible.

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Lorelai woke up suddenly. Disorenited, the beeping and blinking of the monitors reminding her where she was and what was happening. She squeezed his hand for support, but found her hand was empty. _Luke?oh God No,... he's Gone..._she began to tear up.

At that moment, there was the sound of a magazine hitting the floor. In an instant, someone took her vacant hand. "Lorelai, what is it?" asked the consoling voice.

Lorelai's watery eyes were face to face with Emily Gilmore. This made her want to cry even more, this simple gesture, her mother... holding her hand, wanting to comfort her, sensing she was upset. Lorelai couldn't remember the last time she had held her mother's hand. _Was I 5? 6?_ She speculated.

Through the tears Lorelai weakly said "Luke?"

"He had to use the restroom, ... he'll be right back." Emily, seeming to know exactly what to say, as she smoothed her daughter's hair behind her ear, a pleased smile on her face. Lorelai stared at her mother. _Emily?_

"...No doubt, with more ice chips you can't throw on the floor." Noting the meltling lumps on the sterile tile. "That is really a hazard, someone could get hurt."

_That is the Emilly, I know._

"Good thing we are in a hospital?" And Lorelai joked, and squeezed the hand that still possesed hers. Emilly smiled too, but true to form was shaking her head at her daughter's brand of humor.

Lorelai defended herself, "It's a Game and Luke said I could."

"Luke said you could throw ice chips on the floor?"

"No, at the Nurses.... 10 points for torso, 50 for their heads."

"Really, Lorelai." rolling her eyes, but still smiling at the game only her daughter could conceive.

Yet, the two women still held hands. Lorelai regarded their clasped hands, for a moment.

"I'm really glad you're here, Mom." genuinely.

The simple words seemed to really affect Emily. And she smiled warmly, "me too."

Enjoying the rare moment of bonding, understanding, and not fighting, for as long as they could. Emliy attempted to keep the converation going.

"Luke tells me you've been discussing names."

"Yeah girls names, I think I fell asleep around 'K'."

"Thought you two wanted to be 'surprised'."

"Oh we do, we just ...want to have em ..you know ...at the ready."

"Oh, ... any front runners." Placing a second hand over her daughter's.

"There was Aurora, ... Elana, .... Gina...Grace, Hope, Isabelle...."

"All very pretty."

"Yeah,... wait till we hit the rest of the alphabet." She half smiled , but then Lorelai's mind began to wander, tears present again...

"Lorelai..?"

"hhmm?"

"What is it? What are you thinking about?" Emily wanting so much to be apart of this moment in as much as she could.

"I was just thinking ... about Gran....and Mia...I wish they could have been here."

Emily's heart went out to her daughter, and she unintentionally squeezed her daughter's hand again. Like any family member would, Lorelai had mourned the lost of Lorelai the First, no matter what sort of unsettled state their relationship had been left in.

But when Mia passed, if effected Lorelai greatly. This woman was beloved and dear to her daughter and grandaughter. Emily had even gone to the funeral with Lorelai, Luke and Rory. She too wanted to say goodbye to the woman that she no longer resented, to thank a kind stranger who took in her daughter when Lorelai had felt it necessary to run away from home. Mia was another strong influence on Lorelai's development in to the stunny woman she had become. Emily had been learning over the past few years, finally, how to communicate with her daughter. The counselor she and Richard were seeing for their marriage, also gave Emily new insight into her relationship with Lorelai.

As a gesture, Emily did the unexpected.

"What about Mia?"

"What about Mia?" Wondering why her mother would so callously bring up such a painful subject, when she was already missing the person in question, not wanting to think about her absence for this event...

"As a name...for a girl." Emily suggested.

Lorelai could not believe her mom was serious.

And Emily continued. "It is a very pretty name, ... Mia Danes....." just to hear the sound of it.

_Again with the tears and the crying_.... "I think it's lovely.." Lorelai managed to get out.

And they still held hands.

Lorelai broke into a smile, as she looked again, at their clasped hands.

_Not as Before_.

"Thank you, Mommy!"

Then, Luke returned through the room's door, with, as predicted, more ice chips, "Hey you're up, how you fe ....AHHHHH!!"

THUD!

He had slipped on the previously discarded ice chips, showering the fresh ones everywhere.

Grinning through tears, Lorelai sheepishly asked "Honey?... you okay?" trying to surpress the impending laughter. But it was as if on cue, he always knew what she needed, and right now she needed to laugh again.

"Ow!"

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In the waiting room Richard was reading a paper, Emily and Jackson were pacing ferevently, careful not to bump into each other. and Sookie was letting Davy explore the couches and coffee tables to his hearts content.

Rory Burst in. "I'm here, I'm here!! What's going on? Where is she?"

Sookie rushed to meet her. "They just went in, I'm sorry sweetie, but I don't think you can go in now."

A little disapointed, but Rory was still happy that at least her siblings were on their way. "Wow, so how is she? Is Luke still intact?"

"Well there was a incident with ice chips, it seems, but other than that..."

"Hey she is supposed to throw them at the nurses?"

Emily interjected, "And she did....apparently she got 270 points...a lot of 'in the head' bonuses."

"Huh? Okay, well, did they say how long?"

Sookie comforted, "Honey, she's giving birth, not baking a souffle. There is not set time on these things."

"Does anyone want anything, Coffee, snacks" Jackson offered as he scooped up Davy.

Rory admired Davy, seeing him with news eyes, she imagined doing the same thing herself with her siblings.

"Hey anyone here named Rory?" a male nurse in green scrubs walked up to the group.

"Yeah, that's me?"

"Come with me and put these on?" He handed her a set of her very own scrubs.

She looked at everyone else in the waiting room, shrugged, and then Rory followed confused, "Where are we going?"

"Your dad gave me 50 bucks to find you, and bring you to the delivery room, ... he said you'd wanted to be there while your mom had you sibs."

"My Dad?"

"Yeah, think his name was Luke? He is your dad, right?" the nurse looked over to her.

Rory smiled, as she pulled the top half of the Scrubs over her head.

"Yeah ... He is."

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Even with the Epidural, Lorelai was still a wimp for pain.

"OH GOD, Why can't they just stay in there for a few more years," she whined.

"Cause then it would be REALLY painful" her husband argued.

"This IS REALLY PAINFUL!" she grunted.

"Well, it would be this times 10, now I need you to push!!"

"Always thinking about yourself."

"Lorelai, I'm thinking about our baby that is about to crown, now Push!"

"When this is over, ... WE are SO getting separate beds!"

"What about being open to a commitment."

"I will be commited ... to Arkham, if I have to do this again ... AAAAAARRRRGGGG!"

"Well, this is a bad time to remind you its twins."

"Shut up, Butch!" she screamed as she pushed.

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"SHUT UP BUTCH!"

Rory chuckled through her mask; _They could quip through anything_. Rory was in disguise in her scrubs, hat, mask, as well as in complete awe of the miracle taking place before her. There really was no appropriate time to interrupt the coaching and say "Hey, Mom I made it," so Rory remained silent and just watched the bantering team before her. She was here, that is what was important.

Rory considered her perspective to be a safe one, nothing in veiw that she hadn't already seen, or didn't want to see. And then it happened.

"WWWWWAAAHHHH"

And Rory watched as her brother was brought into the world. Her mother falling back from exhaustion, with a smile on her face, clinging to Luke, as she laid her eyes on her son for the first time. Luke beaming with pride, and tears streamed down his face. The nurse offered them a veiw for a few moments then took the little boy to warm and clean him up.

Lorelai had her eyes closed, glad that part was over.

Luke leaned toward his wife, and Rory witnessed the exchange.

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"Lorelai," Luke whispered "We have our son , Will , he's out and he's Healthy,"

She knowingly nodded, she was already groggy and exhausted. "...That's it, I'm out..."

"Come on, Lorelai, just a few more pushes, ..."

"No." she pleaded.

"... and we'll have our second baby,"

"I've already done it once today....Go to hell!" she added in a forceful whisper, annoyed at his persistance.

"Honey, I know you're tired. But you can do this...."

Lorelai met Luke's eyes. This was another thing she didn't have the last time. A coach , a partner, the whole package. The father holding her hand, wiping her brow, with encouraging words, with her every step. She swelled with love and pain at the same time. _Not As Before_.

"Luke?" in a small voice.

"I'm here Lorelai, we're almost there. Just one more baby," he held her hand tighter.

"Luke, kiss me."

"What?"

"Kiss me," she repeated.

"Now?" confused by the timing of the request.

"Kiss me and I'll know I can do this."

Who was he to argue with where she needed to derive her strength from. So he did. Nothing much, just enough to remind her, what had gotten them into this room in the first place.

"I love you, Luke." she whimpered.

"I love you, Lorelai." he encouraged.

She gave him a weak smiled at him, "okay,... I'm ready," and she dug in for the finale.

_Not as before._

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There is a card on the mantle. The cover shows a wonderful castle on top of rolling green hills. The caption reads:

Once upon a time,  
in the town of Hartford,  
a very special pair of babies were born.  
And there was great rejoicing.

Upon opening the card, a family protrait was enclosed, on the left. Luke and Lorelai with a baby each, Rory, hugging the adult pair from behind, and Richard and Emily on either side of Rory, posing proudly. On the right, their story was told:

Their proud parents,  
Queen Lorelai and King Luke,  
from the kingdom of Stars Hollow  
named them Will and Mia,  
and they were loved throughout the land of Connecticut.  
But none loved them more than their big sister, Princess Rory.  
Hailing from the kingdom of Hartford, King Richard and Queen Emily,  
with a guarantee they would spoil the royal children for the rest of their days.

**TBC: I still have one more stop I wanna make on this trip......WINK...**

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**Hhhhhmmmm If Luke reviewed this piece what would he say?**

**LUKE's review: "That was all God-given talent."**

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**A/N: get it...Fancy meeting your belly here....at the hospital hehehehe........ and of course the "Not As Before's"**

**A/N : one of the reasons I love this show so much...is cause of the banter...which is why my writing (this story in particular) is quite saturated with it (fat and all)!!! PLUS, I SPEAK GILMORE...I do, again ask Luvz how they talk on the show is how I talk in real life(with the speed and the quips and the cultural references), THAT is why I channel the Gilmore soo DAMN WELL, it's a talent... ( again with LUKE: That was all God-given talent..)**

**A/N: hey in case you didn't notice....I like spooning lol..**

**A/N: "What's this 'we' crap." This is wonderful catch phrase my sis and I have...**

**A/N: heheheh ICE CHIPS....hehehheheheh.. FUNNY!**

**A/N: Baby NAMES: William Gilmore Danes and Mia Gilmore Danes**

**A/N: OKAY I did a lot of research on names, (bought a baby name book, and my sis was like is there something you wanna tell me?....anyway..) and here are some fun facts to share...**

**Christopher bearer of christ....ummm not hardly...**

**Jason means healer, man on a quest...uuuhhh not on this show...**

**Max or Maxwell, Greatest, full of excellence, ...little full of our self are we?**

**Nicole victory of the people, winning, ...she's a loser on this show...**

**Rachel- peaceful, calm...ummm sure why not**

**Luke-worshipful, no argument here....**

**What do you think? Were they True to character...??**

**R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,  
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."**

**Please be specfic with R/R; name one at least specific thing you like please!!! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)**

**Hence the Rant option bellow.**

**Insert Rant here V **


	4. Salt,Wound,Rub It In Why Don't You!

**Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here! **

**By Gilmoregirl1979**

**Rating: PG-13( Why? ... because WE CAN!!!!)**

**Hi this is your friendly disclaimer,: see chapter one, for this mumbo jumbo....dialouge borrowed from eppy 4-22 raincoats and receipes.**

**Summary: OOOOHHH if you don't know by NOW.......!!!!!!**

**Previously on Gilmore Girls (My fav parts/after thoughts of the last Chapter):**

**- Naked Incubator Lorelai.... See even pregnant women are sexy....maybe just because it IS Lorelai...**

**-"I've already done it once today"...LOL**

**-Did I mention that I like spooning?...I did? Oh... okay, just making it clear...I'm a big FAN of THE Spooning (and now Luvz is falling off her chair with laughter...or anticipation...cause I made her wait so long for this CH...lol...)**

**Seriously, I've used it (the Spooning) in like three fics...I'm a spooning FREAK LOL!!! I need Spooners Anonymous.....**

**A/N: BTW I'm REALY PROUD of this chapter's TITLE!!! lol**

**A/N: hey, hey, let me ask you this? Where else are the author's notes just as FUN as the Story itself, huh? .... DEEP,... PROFOUND.....**

**I try....(blushing).**

**Random thoughts: DUDE, my reviews are in Double !!!**

**& Conflict: the KEY to great DRAMA...**

**& Happy Belated B-Day Scott P.!! we love you!!!!**

**Once again....The shout outs:**

**LuvzAFunEthing I'm still laughing about the "cheater cheater" thing the other day..lol (like PREGO, it's in here.)**

**And hey, IF YOU RUSH GENIUS....you GET CRAP FOR CRAP...enough with threatening emails already!!!-Jking I like the threatening emails they make me feel popular...like I have a stalker(Jason?)...lol (PLEASE I AM JUST KIDDING...!!! No Diggers on my door step please...)**

**Seriously pixie girl, thank you for being the muse, and keeping on my ass about this CH. I am pleased with it. and it's cause you helped with the writers block ( thanks for the fiber again...lol)**

**Hey Goodbyegirl84: thanks for the mention on the thread.....I love free advertising...and I'm sure my reviews will now double...thanks...hope you like this CH.**

**Gcmel: hiya, nice to hear from you again HUGS missed ya, okay according to my name book, Lorelai is GREMAN, and means Siren, hmmmm makes sense, since she is kinda loud, boisterous and has put a spell on our favorite Coffee Man... lol **

**-AND don't wait so long to drop a line next time....I worry!!!**

**Hey S****cubaluver I hope this CH does it for you........ Dirty! Please RR so I know...lol (I'm curious that way)**  
**This one is sort of heavy....so I hope you worked out...(like Scott Patterson, YAOW-ZA, sound It out...it works, trust me...have you seen his back? PPUURRSSSS )**

**This CH is out in celebration of .....ONE WEEK MORE!!!! DAMN IT!!!

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****Fancy Meeting Your Belly Here!  
****Chapter 4**  
**Salt ... Wound ... Rub It In Why Don't You!!**

The couple walked hand in hand through the Hartford Park. They past the playground, and were enjoying the sunshine, the trees and each others company.

Jason couldn't beleive his luck, as he regarded the woman holding his hand. She was just so amazing. She finally had her own firm now, two years ahead of her ambitious plan.

"You did it babe, you are truly a success. Be your own boss, set your own hours, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Jason, hey is it werid for you to be back here? Didn't you say you used to live around here?"

"Yeah, an apartment about three blocks away actually? But then, It's always werid to visit my parents, ... but you are the lady in my life and I want them to meet you. And hey if they don't like you,... then I love you all the more." She laughed, _How I love that laugh_, he relished. She didn't laugh enough, and with that he kissed her, hopefully encourage the behavior to emerge more often. She smiled as he pulled away, and they continued on the path.

They were really like minded creatures; Tenatious, Persistant, Driven, Destined for Success, and nothing would stand in their way. They had road blocks and set backs, challenges that they had just plowed through like they didn't exist. Jason was now thankful everyday that he picked New York.

They had met by chance after Jason's "unpleasantness" with Richard Gilmore had gone down and he had to start over. He never disclosed the sordid details of why he needed to start over, just that he did, "call it an entrepreneurial spirit", he had said lightly their first meeting. That was the first time he made her laugh, and it wasn't the last. She was a highly recommended lawyer; was cut throat, but kept his best interests at heart. He was atrracted to her instantly. It started off as a proffessional relationship, but they were soon friends, then, after a few months, he finally mustard enough courage to ask her out. After a few more laughs in his face and persistent months of asking, she accepted. He'd been the happiest man ever since. As was tradition, he had waited for that little voice in his head, the one that said "run away little man, this is getting serious". It never came. THAT had only happened one time before, but he preferred not to dwell on that. "Hey, you lived here too? Right?" to divert his attention.

"Oh, I've lived all over, but I was in Litchfield for a time." She added quickly hoping to have the subject would drop. Jason was a nice man. A little quirky, very funny, and successful. And he made her laugh, too many New York business men were so stuffy and boring, a sense of humor really is attractive. Who would have thought she'd ever fall for a goof ball. She could be a little too serious at times, she had to be, she was a lawyer. Her cases involved large sums of money and valueable property being passed back and forth; contract terms that were almost life and death, people expected her to be serious. Yet, Jason always found away to bring the smile out, and lighten her up. She liked that. She had some disappointments in her past, and she could tell,... Jason did, too. That was another way they were alike, overcoming adversity. She was proud of Jason too, he seemed to come from nothing, and made a success of himself in New York despite the hardships. All she really knew was his former partner stole all his clients behind his back, some sort of legal loop holes kept him from suing, and thereby tainting him from doing business in Connecticut for a whlile til he coud reestablish himself. She had begged him to let her take a look into it...but he shrugged it off as long dead. She never pressed why else he wanted to start over. Again, She was a lawyer, she sensed there was something else. But, she knew all about how hard a fresh start could be, having so recently gone through a divorce when she moved to the Big Apple. Jason was different, to say the least, yet something was so familiar about him and she couldn't put her finger on it. They were now in the phase of meeting his parents, and that was a big step. She remembered the last man she had meet her parents, ... obviously, it didn't go so well, ending in divorce. Jason did love to tease her about what a nightmare his family was, and she wondered how much of it was true. _Sometimes you just can't tell with him._

She felt Jason stop in his tracks, and she looked over to him, and noticed he was white as a ghost.

"Jason what's wrong?" so she followed his gaze across the park.

"Oh umm, ... nothing... I just ... just..." just couldn't help but stare. He's brain seemed to shut down for a time. However, Jason's synapses were still firing just enough for him to take in the image of Luke, "_Luke Danes, I own the diner in town_", aka Duke, on a park bench, with a bundled blanket in his arms. Jason assumed with a baby inside. Lorelai handed Luke a bottle, and Luke happily accepted it, and began to feed their child. Lorelai was fiddling with something else in the stroller..._Oh My God, Twins? You've GOT to be kidding me._ Sure enough, Lorelai picked up another bundled blanket and began feeding baby #2.

Rory, Richard and Emily Gilmore were also there, gushing, no doubt, over their new grandkids and siblings. Lorelai asked Rory something, and Rory went into Lorelai's purse, took some money out, and went to a store across the street.

Emily and Lorelai seemed to have a light hearted exchange, and Richard took Emily's hand and they went off to enjoy the scenery of the park, leaving the new parents in peace.

Luke and Lorelai were alone now, on the bench, and just stared at their children and at each other, positively dopey grins on their faces. It was an non-verbal exchange that spoke volumes. Both beaming. Both satisfied. Both happy. Both In Love. It was the same look Jason had witnessed a few years ago at the Dragonfly.

7 7 7 7 7 7 Lucky number 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

He was coming out of the restroom and he heard muffled yelling. Upon investigating he saw Luke and Lorelai in the hall arguing...._Geez, I go to the bathroom and all hell breaks loose._

"You knew what I was doing! "

"Well, no, not officially."

"Not officially? Oh, come on. I mean, I didn't have a ref present, but other than that."

"Well, you didn't say anything official."

Jason didn't know what was going on but he hung back to absorb as much information as he could, after all, things were still looking in his favor._ She brought me dinner!_

"What was I supposed to say? I did things. I let my actions speak. That's what you're supposed to do. Your supposed to let your actions speak. That's the romantic way to do this, damn it. "

_What things? Romanitc way? _

"Okay, you're right. I'm sorry."

"And you went along with all of it. So naturally, I assumed we were on the same page, and then your boyfriend shows up here at the Inn that I invested in."

_Luke? Invested? Lorelai never asked me to invest?_

"Whoa, Whoa, what boyfriend? Are you talking about Jason?"

"No, Tom. Yes, Jason."

_Who is Tom?_

"You guys were talking? What did he say?"

"He said you were together. I mean, I was sitting there listening to this guy spout on and on about how it's right, you're right, he's right. The whole time, I'm thinking, 'What the hell have I been doing all this for? She's taken.'

" -- I'm not taken!"

_When your girlfriend claims she is not taken, that is most Definitley not a good sign._ Jason moved from his perch in the dining room, because they were now taking this outside. He found a new spot in the library, so he could still hear and follow the action, through the open front door.

"We broke up!"

"Well, he doesn't know that! "

"Well, just calm down! "

"Aw, I don't want to calm down! I did everything right! I did exactly what the book said!"

"The book?!"

Apprently, Jason wasn't the only one having trouble following this Diner man's outburst.

"I thought we were on track, and now you're standing there looking at me like I'm crazy."

"I'm not looking at you like you're crazy!"

"You know the last time I bought flowers for someone? Never! That's when! Very easy stat to remember!"

"I loved the flowers!"

"And then when I walked you home after the wedding, there was a moment. ... I thought there was a moment."

_Wait a minute, Flowers?? Weddings?? Moments?? It has only been two weeks, right?_

"There was!"

_What?_

The arguing pair paused for a seconed, and met each other's gaze.

"There was a moment." Lorelai confirmed again.

Luke moved toward Lorelai, she seemed to back away.

"What are you doing?"

"Will you just stand still?"

Luke gathered Lorelai in his arms, and kissed her. It was brief but it was enough to infuriate Jason. As they seperated Lorelai looked to be in shock.

_Okay, this has to be the part where she hits him. _

But it was THERE, right there, that "the look" had first emerged. Then Lorelai moved toward Luke.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked.

"Will you just stand still?"

_NO! Lorelai?_

But she did, Lorelai kissed the diner man. And this kiss was something more...

Jason sunk, he lost her. He did a stupid thing and sued her dad, pushing her away, and now she's moved on with the diner man. _A burger flipping, coffee making, Diner man, How could this have happened?_ He almost didn't notice the naked man yelling and screaming down the stairs._ This REALLY is a strange town._

He'd drop the suit, what was the point really. He had nothing to keep him here now. Despondent, Jason got in his car that very night, and drove away from the Inn, away from the town, away from the state ... to start over.

_New York City, here I come._

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He didn't know how long he was staring...but he felt he should to explain to his girlfriend why he wasn't speaking for so long. He turned to her, and saw she was staring too, mouth gaped, just as pale as he felt.

"Nicole?"

"Huh, what?" she said distracted...transfixed on the family.

"Are you okay?"

"ummmmm yeah," seeming to come out of it, "... you?"

"Yeah, fine, what is it?"

"ummmm Jason, ... you know I was married before right..?"

"Yeah, you told me..."

"Over there,... that family, ... that man,....he's my Ex husband, ... Luke."

Jason's eyes went wide. "Oh, You've Got to be kidding me!"

"No, I'm not?... What's with the tone?"

She was a lawyer, she picked up intonation.

"Lorelai and I ," he gestured to the distance bench, "... were serious for a time,..."

Now Nicole's eyes bugged out. That was it, that is why he seemed so familiar, he had the same "Gilmore" humor. "So your ex- girlfriend and my ex-husband, are together,... with children, ... and we ... are together?"

"Yeah, .....is that just werid?

"Or ironic?

There was a long pause digesting this new information.....

"Twins." Jason offered to break the silence.

"Yeah, ... that's a lot of work." And she started to snicker, "Luke trying to change a diaper. Hell, two diapers...." And Nicole started to laugh.

Jason chuckled too, "Can you imagine how big Lorelai must have been?"

They both seemed to enjoy the joke at the Danes family's expense.

"Oh God, I need to sit down", and Nicole found a bench that couldn't help but still offer a veiw of the happy family. The laughter died away, and she couldn't avert her eyes. Jason sat next to her. Both examining the family. Their light hearted jest now replaced with the silent realization of what was missing from their power and success. Jason took her hand, and squeezed. Jason had never asked questions about Nicole's marriage before. "You never really talked about why it broke up.... Your marriage." Hell, she barely talked about it at all, it was merely mentioned in passing as a simple fact; "... I'm a lawyer.., moved to New York after my divorce, my favorite color is red...". Now he wished he'd been a little more persistent for that information.

Nicole felt very uncomfortable, and cleared her throat in an attempt to dislodge the lump there, "I think you can see why." Nodding toward the disant bench.

Jason looked at the family again, with a new found understanding. Though they never discussed specifics, _such as with whom were you married, how long did it last,_ He did have the vague understanding that her divorce corresponded in time with the end of his relationship wtih Lorelai. _Of course, Luke and Lorelai were long time friends. Did Luke pursue Lorelai while still marreid to Nicole? The Bastard. Would Lorelai really cheat with a married man? _He began to wonder if the wedding the diner man spoke of was his own_. That's despicable. And Lorelai, involved with a married man when WE were clearly not finished. Well, maybe she gets her heartless nature from Richard?_

It was all too easy to pass the blame, Nicole reasoned. _Let Jason think what the wants._ She was a lawyer, she knew the best way to manipulate the situation to the most advantageous outcome. Besides, she often suspected it was Luke's repressed affection for Lorelai that ultimately doomed the marriage. _The proof of that right infront of me!_ Nicole wasn't heartbroken over Luke, Her pride was hurt more than her heart's actual attachment to him. Yet, that silent endearment toward Lorelai was why they never really had a chance. It was why Luke never really move to Litchfield. That was the reason he spent most nights above the diner, wanting to be there for HER the next day. That is why Nicole got lonely, Luke had basically neglected her, and drove her into the arms of Peter; whom Luke referred to as the Sock Man. She had found his frankness in the divorce papers very inappropriate, if not just embarrassing.

The expression on her face moved Jason. "Oh, Nicole," and he put a comforting arm around her. It was bad enough that Luke had stolen Lorelai from him, but to now know that was the reason the Diner man had hurt Nicole. It was more than he could stand. And yet, it was all so strange,... he couldn't help but wonder as he reflected on Luke and Lorelai's "test run exchange". Something didn't seem to fit. _Luke never bought Flowers for Nicole? If I hadn't sued Richard, would I still be with Lorelai? Would we have lasted? Would Nicole still be married to Luke? Would Luke still have cheated,... maybe with someone else? This is just a strange situation to be in. _

Then, a devious idea popped in his head.

"Hey, you wanna have some fun?"

"Sure," desperately wanting Jason to cheer her up, the way he always did, and save her from the sins of her past.

"Let's go say 'Hi'."

"Jason?... I'd don't think that is such a good idea."

"What? Knowing Lorelai, I think they might appreicate the irony, too. Besides don't you want to catch up with Ozzie and Harriet over there."

"Not particularly." She said truthfully.

"Nicole, come on, it was years ago, Right? ... For both of us. We have both moved on, we are in a healthy relationship. Are we not insanely successful, influential people, whom, may I add, have incredible sex on a regular basis? If nothing else we have to rub their noses in that, right? When was the last time you think they had sex...they have twins for pete's sake."

_Pete? Peter?...ummmm_. Nicole really didn't want to think about anyone having sex at that moment...especially not Luke and Lorelai ... or her and the Sockman, or her and Jason for that matter....this was just an all around bad idea.

"I don't like the idea of lording my success or my sex life over my ex and his new family."

"Come on, it will be fun. I promise."

"Jason,"

"Five minutes, a quick hello, how are you, a few 'NANA NANA BOO BOOs' and goodbye."

Jason pulled Nicole off the park bench, and led her over to the happy foursome.

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Lorelai couldn't beleive how well this day was going. She had been in her mother's company for over 5 hours and that shooting pain behind her eye was not present. Oh, Emily still offered helpful advice, she wasn't dead, but good reliable Luke would intercept what he could to take the burden off Lorelai. Luke had impressed Emily with his new found knowledge of babies. He had been reading Lorelai's pregngacy books the entire 9 months.

... well someone had too.

"And ... he's out!"she whispered triumphantly.

"I still beat you." Having put Mia to sleep five minutes before.

"This is not a competition."

"Then why were you the one making childish wagers."

"Oh,... that!" _Damn, he remembered._

"A deal's a deal, you owe me an extra month without Coffee!"

"Fine, ... but I'll be making this face the whole month." And she scrunched up her face in the most hideous, distorted way she could, to show her disapproval of the deal.

Luke had to grin, "Doesn't matter, I know how to make that face go away." In a low husky voice and he puncuated the innuendo with a wink. He had leaned in, just to be sure his in-laws would not over hear the suggestive comment he made to their daughter.

Lorelai tried to hide the smile from her husband, but it was no good. As much as she loved and appreciated Luke the Father, for the last few months she had missed Luke the Lover, and had ecstatically and passionately welcomed his return. _Who needs coffee when you can have Luke? The caffeine withdrawl headaches aren't that bad anyway! _

"Yeah, well, if you keep antics like last night up, we will have another pair of these running around in no time."

"So, What's the problem?" her husband smiled, in the same tone.

Her smile wided at the suggestion, and Lorelai placed Will next to his sleeping sister in the double stroller. She couldn't help but admire the tiny pair of Love's creation. Then, she noticed forbodding shadows growing on the ground. She glanced up, unprepared for who and what she saw.

"Jason?"  
"Lorelai." he acknowledged.

Luke took his eyes off the twins and saw the pair as well.

"Nicole?"  
"Luke." she confirmed.

Luke and Lorelai observed their clasped hands, and gave each other a sidelong glance. They picked up the non-verbal clues.

Lorelai tried to remain jovial, "Well, ... Fancy meeting you ...both ... here....of all places," but it still came out with a hint of confusion. _God, my voice hasn't sounded like that since the last time I had to speak with Nicole_. All false and pleasant, through the clenched teeth of her forced smile. She tried to laugh, and grabbed Luke's hand to draw from his strength.

Jason smiled smuggly, Lorelai had just grabbed Luke's hand, either she was scared, or it was an attempt to mirror his and Nicole's united front; _The former, no doubt_. Surprise was always a good tatic, they couldn't possibly have expected this. _We'll have them on the ropes in no time._

Luke was a little perplexed by the situation, this was like an episode of the Twilight Zone Lorelai made him watch. He was glad to have her hand to hold on to. His Ex Wife was with,... WITH Jason Stiles. Luke hadn't seen Jason since that night at the Dragonfly, he hadn't seen Nicole since long before that.

Nicole couldn't beleive Jason talked her into this. Although the appeal of making Lorelai suffer a little won over her better judgement.

Lorelai's stale pleasantry just hung in the air. No one spoke. However, Lorelai had always suffered from pressure of speech, and she began to nervously babble. "So wow, you two ...together ...I have to tell you, that is great...no two better suited." She fully intended it as a back handed insult. Of course, Nicole was already a harpy, for the way she had treated Luke; and Jason was just deluded scum for suing her Father like that. _No two...better suited indeed!!_ Lorelai only hoped her dad wounldn't spot Jason, they still had Richard's heart condition to think of, afterall.

The sinister couple may not have caught her full meaning, but enough was implied. Yet they remained civil...for now. "Yeah, well, here we ALL are..."Jason, said a little too pleased with himself. "You know, we were just walking by and saw you, and were like, 'hey that's my Ex girlfriend,', 'Really that is my ex- husband' and we laughed and laughed at the complete irony of the situation."

"Irony, yeah ... that's a great story..." Luke's voice dry with the sacrasm. Luke never liked Jason. Granted this opinion was based on the only conversation they had ever had, but ONE was enough. A little of Stiles goes along way. Luke glanced at his kids snoozing away, innocent and completely unaware of what mommy and daddy were going through at that moment. Luke only hoped it remained civil enough to not interrupt nap time.

Nicole let Jason do the talking, this was his idea afterall. He was the one who thought this would be fun, so let him be in the conversational drivers seat. She couldn't help but notice Luke's expression as he checked on his kids. How in just this short glimpse, she could tell how devoted he was to Lorelai and their family, as he never was with her. Again, she was a lawyer, she got paid to read body language.

Another agonizing silence fell upon the group. So Lorelai took another stab, "so Jason,.. how's business?" immediately regretting it, how well could he be after how things ended with her father, he had nothing. When he left years ago, his only hope was for a spot on the Appretince. _Yeah, like Trump would hire this putz!_

"Well, I'm glad you asked that Lorelai, I'm actually running my company out of New York now. More clients than I know what to do with, thankfully I've hired on more staff, so I have more time free for Nicole."

Luke began to wonder how much of what he said was just for show. Jason seemed the type.

Nicole gave more of a wince, than a smile. This was were the bragging began, once finished, they could make their exit and get back to where things made sense again.

Jason continued, "... and Nicole here just bought out her partners, so the firm is all hers."

"Yeah, that's just ... " Luke said clearly uncomfortable with this situation.

Another awkward silence.

Lorelai, trying to keep the conversation going, her logic being _the faster it moved the sooner it ends_. "So how long have you two been an item?" feigning interest.

Luke turned to Lorelai thinking _Will you stop asking questions!!_

"Almost a year" Jason offered.

"Christmas" Nicole said at the same time.

Jason turned to his girlfriend confused... "Christmas...?"

"Well, ... we weren't exclusive till,.."

Jason cut her off in a snapping tone."We weren't exclusive? 5 months? And we weren't exclusive? Huh, so when DID you realize that was we _were exclusive_. I'm just curious, for my own sanity."

"As I said, around Christmas..."

Apparently, this truly offended Jason. "That was a month after I gave you the key to my place. You think I just go around randomly giving women my key?"

"Well holidays were now invovled..."

"So what you don't like Thanksgiving? Well, now I feel like the damn turkey, Nicole, that key was supposed to SAY something ... about us..."

"AHH the Talking key is back!" Lorelai interjected before she could stop herself. And Luke gave her hand a squeeze, hoping she'd take the cue and stay out of it, this was already unpleasant enough.

"Lorelai, please!" Nicole barked.

"Hey, don't feel bad I didn't get it either..."

With that Nicole turned to Jason..."You gave her a key?"

"I told you, we were serious at the time."

"Huh? Lorelai? ... Did you meet his parents?" thinking of the dinner schedule for that evening. She wanted to know just "how serious" was serious. if Lorelai got a key, why not dinner with the parents, too?

"Ummm actually," thinking of the night when everything blew up, "yeah," she said sheepishly, "...It was more of a business thing though, Jason being my dad's partner, no one really knew about us...till,... " She forced another smile thinking of the slimeball Floyd really was. _I mean a P.I. Really._

"Wait a minute," Nicole needed a moment to wrap her brain around this "...you were dating your business partner's daughter? Well, no wonder he forced you out?"

"Hey she refused to tell him! Besides my dad hired a P.I., and told Richard before we could..."

"Wait, wait, a P.I.? Your dad hired a P.I.? You want me to meet these people tonight? And they hired a P.I. to spy on their own son? Do they already have a file on me or soemthing?" Nicole had now forgotten why she was so excited about that step of their relationship in the first place.

"Well, when I had left my Dad's company to partner with Richard, Dad didn't take that so well. And then, after the business with Richard went down, Floyd and I weren't exactly on speaking terms."

"I just can't believe this, Jason, don't you have any business ethics? With your partner's daughter? I didn't think I'd have to tell you that is completely inappropritate conduct."

"You outta know..." Lorelai offered, again with the Tourette's syndrome.

Luke rolled his eyes, and gave his wife another look as in "don't egg them on".

"Excuse me?" Jason was genuinely curious.

"Nothing," Lorelai just wanted this moment to be over.

"No, Lorelai, What? Would you like to pass moral judgements, as well? Considering you are just as guilty I, if not more so for breaking up a a marriage."

"Jason, what are you talking about...?"

Jason decided to get back on track, and refocus his attack on the Happy Couple. That was the whole point of this exercise, Right? He was going to hit where it counted. "What about these little tikes? Huh? What are their names..?" and Jason reached toward the stroller.

"Don't" Luke barked a little louder than he intended. Jason froze, with mock concern on his face, the gesture only to set up for the kill.

Luke cleared his throat, "We just put them down...for their nap." _GOD, when is this going to end , just move on...Digger!_

"Oh, of course, we wouldn't want to wake the like darlings" he said, still snide.

"Ummmm Jason? What is wrong with you? And what is with that crack, what marriage?" picking up his tone, and Lorelai was getting into protective mother mode.

"Well, I'm just cuirious, are these the only children you have? Or are there more little bastards running around?"

"JASON!" Lorelai was in shock, _The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?!_

"Listen _Digger_, ... I suggest you leave" Luke said with as much control as he could.

"Well, first let me at least tell you to your face I think you are scum, leaving a beautiful, talented, tenacious woman like Nicole for a heartless bitch like Lorelai."

This time Luke shot up from the bench, "That's strike two, Digger!" fists already clenched, just waiting to hurl into action.

Jason now turned his attention to the heartless bitch. "How could you? With a married man? When we still didn't have closure?"

"Jason, for the last time, what the hell are you talking about?" Lorelai was completely lost as to why Jason would be so mad at Luke and her.

"You broke up his marriage with your affair, you both hurt Nicole."

Now Luke relaxed a bit, but only a bit. He put his hand on his hips, _What an idiot!_ Shaking his head, "Oh Man, ... is that what she told you?" referring to Nicole.

Disarmed by the diner man's intonation and posture. "What?"

Lorelai clarified, "Nicole is the one who cheated...on Luke!" _Idiot!_

"That's not true!" Jason scoffed.

"Ummm yeah it is, ... Luke got arrested for beating up a car, I had to bail him out,....check the police record." _Oh, God my husband has a police record. _

Stunned, Jason turned to Nicole. "Nicole?"

"Jason,..." she admitted reluctantly "...it's true."

"WHAT?" Digger shouted.

Lorelai filled in the blanks "With a Sock-man."

Luke hissed toward Lorelai, "Raise your hand if you're not helping!"

"A What?" Jason shrieked, being the only one not understanding the reference. "You're the one who cheated!!"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Yes," her confirmation cold and brusque.

"You presume to lecture me about ethics? and YOU cheated on your husband? ... you lied to me, ... you had me beleive..."

"You made the assumption on your own, I never said...!"

"Well, you know what they say when you assume...huh? ... So a sock man? A SOCK MAN? What the hell does that even mean, ... a Sock Man? Was it him that we weren't 'exclusive' with, huh?"

"No! okay we broke up a few months after the divorce; Ok, Jason, he was just a comfort, alirght, a rebound guy..."

"Oh okay, so you were just a **_'Cheater Cheater Sock-Man Eater' _**for a few months to get over the marriage to the Diner man that you broke up yourself!!!! Yeah, okay, that makes me feel SO much better." The anger equal to the sarcasm.

Nicole tried to defend herself, "You don't understand! It WAS because of HER. He was always in love with her. He never really moved into our place, he hated going to the business dinners, ... he was never home ..."

Luke was already uncomfortable, but to have his dirty laundry aired out in a public park, a 100 yards from his in-laws and 1 yard from his sleeping twins was becoming more than the Hulk could handle. He only hoped that this scenario would not end with him in jail,...again.

"Damn it Nicole! Nothing happened between me and Lorelai till after the divorce was final. And why are you so hurt now? Everything ended amicably years ago..."

"That doesn't mean it didn't still hurt, Luke!"

"Nicole, nothing happened!!" Luke guaranteed.

"LIKE HELL IT DIDN'T!!"

Lorelai pleaded with her, "Nicole, please keep your voice down, we have sleeping babies here!!"

"OH, SCREW YOUR DAMN BABIES!!"

A surge of being "violently protective" over taking Luke, "Nicole that is enough! Look this whole situation took a very strange turn. YELL AT ME, YELL AT JASON, he is an ASS and deserves it, just do it a safe distance away from my kids!!"

"GO TO HELL!! ... ALL OF YOU!!" and she stormed off.

And Jason called after her "NOT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE THERE!!" and he stalked off in the opposite direction.

Luke sat back down, and looked over at Lorelai, both just sat in stunned silence, slowly recovering from Jason and Nicole's "Meltdown in the Park". _I wonder if Baz is available to direct_.

Luke asked, "What the Hell Just Happened?"

A confused Lorelai observed, "I think we just broke up our Exes."

"Is it just me, or was that just... werid?"

"Oh, believe me that was 'The Cell' weird."

He looked at the slumbering pair again. "And they slept through all of that?"

"Huh? Kids are resilient, aren't they?" she asked rhetorically.

"Hey" Rory called cheerfully, back from her errand, and peeking in the double stroller at her sleeping siblings. Then she seemed to noticed the dumbfounded expressions on her mother and stepfather's faces.

"What?"

**7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 77 7 7 7 7 7 7 777 7 7 7 7 7 7

* * *

****Is there really anywhere else ANYONE wants to visit on this trip??? **

**Suggestions welcome.....Please tell me...ask and you shall...most likey receive, I aim to please (dirty!!)**

**A/N: I just realized I know too many commercial slogans....maybe I watch too much TV....**

**NAH...**

**LOL**

**A/N: Despondent- I used a big word MOMMY aren't you PROUD!!!**

**A/N: about Jason's assumptions...if you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U & ME. Get it...besides,...Jason is an Idiot .... and an ASS for that matter...LOL....**

**A/N: all the "she's was a laywer"s are good, but this one is my fav..... "she knew the best way to manipulate the situation to the most advantageous outcome" hehehehe the EVIL Nasty McBitch, attorney at LAW, now we know why the marriage went Belly up...lol **

**A/N: okay say it with me now......Jason/Nicole ... in BED **

...**.EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW LOL**

**A/N: All false and pleasant, through the clenched teeth of her forced smile.- I am Damn proud of that....lol.**

**A/N: _'Cheater Cheater Sock-Man Eater'-_Alright I don't mind saying.....AGAIN.... I am DAMN PROUD OF THIS ONE!!!!**

**A/N: it was soooo hard to call Lorelai a "heartless bitch", please forgive me!! it was't me it was the CRAZY STALKER MAN....(As opposed to the one armed man?)**

**A/N: "Oh Screw your Damn babies".... How many wanna hit her...show of hands?**

**Uh uh**

**The entire internet....thought so!!!**

**A/N: the Cell, one of the worst J Lo Movies to DATE!!!!(sadly they could only get worse...scary, I know)**

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**Hhhhhmmmm If Luke reviewed this piece what would he say?**

**LUKE's review: "That was all God-given talent."**

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**What do you think? Were they True to character...??**

**R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,  
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."**

**Please be specfic with R/R; name one at least specific thing you like please!!! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)**

**Hence the Rant option bellow.**

**Insert Rant here V **


	5. Is That A Knife In Your Gut

**Fancy meeting your Belly here  
by Gilmoregirl1979**

**With a BIG CO writer credit to Localizy**

**A/N: I figured "hey if someone can write a fic about jess and lindsey getting married (YES, you read that right! jess and Lindsey! MARRIED… raising her and DEAN's KIDS! … I know! That is what I said…) any way I figured, I could have NASTY McBitch and CRAZY Stalker man get together… if only briefly…cause really, would you WANT them to procreate? THAT is the kid that would be building a death ray (just plain crazy!), I'm telling you!**

**Ah yes, the Shout outs(I remember you all well!)**

**Localizy: thank you for ALL your major help with this chapter, HOLY CRAP I was stuck on this one.**

**LuvzAFunEthing….it really is…! Hey chica bella, this chapter was so much fun to write…OMG.**

**otownroxx :..… ummm okay REALLY needed to get back to you! … you asked about the Scary Hairy Nipple Man explanation. So here we go … (ENJOY!) It is widely known that Max…is not the best looking man (SHUT UP! IN MY WORLD IT'S A FACT! And LUKE IS WORSHIPFUL! SO THERE!) Anyway.. that one scene in the BREAK UP PART 2 (see season one DVD) and Lorelai is (repressing the vomit, ME, not Lorelai…although you wonder with all that talk about soup…) ANY WAY she is … in bed … with MAX(GROSS!) … THAT my friend, … is KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE as the SCARY HAIRY NIPPLE SCENE, because SCARY HAIRY NIPPLE MAN (Max, … Duh!) is showing of his SCARY HAIRY NIPPLES….(Guinness book of world records website that is the most references to the Scary Hairy Nipples in one sitting! Congratulations!)**

**Can you believe she almost married … THAT! eeeeewwwwwwwwww! THANK THE PTB the WB for small FAVORS! (HELL BIG ASS FAVORS! ) **

**so now otownroxx, you know and knowing is half the battle(AGAIN WITH THE G.I. JOE! … I'm a tom boy that way!)**

**wes craven (WOW I'm popular) you said " Jason pelting Nasty with mustard is actually a nice image. heeheehee!" and my reply… "THAT WOULD BE FESTIVE WOULDN'T IT!"**

**A/N: this one was kinda delicate to handle, so I took my time with it (as you may have noticed, dig on my own procrastinating) Also, I needed to see how they would play the Chris CARD (BASTARD! Sorry force of habit when he is mentioned.) any how, enjoy!**

**and now we twist the knife on, … or rather, IN Christopher…**

**Please insert EVIL LAUGHTER**

**Chapter 5 it's finally here! YEY!**

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**Chapter 5:  
Is That A Knife In Your Gut Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?**

The house looked the same on the outside, but Chris knew everything was different inside. It wasn't just because the house had been renovated, but because of the difference in the atmosphere of the house. He had mixed feelings standing there, he wanted to see his daughter and part of him wanted to see Lorelai, but that meant having to see HIM, too. Chris had agreed to pick Rory up here, but truthfully would have rather picked her up at a gas station, thought it was easier than trying to maneuver a Volvo in a college town. _It might be time for a trade in, _noting the New SUV in the driveway, an SUV with two baby seats in the back.

Chris knocked on the front door and Luke answered the door, holding a baby in his arms, its head peaceful and content on its Daddy's shoulder. Chris couldn't tell which one it was and honestly he didn't much care.

"Hey," Chris choked out with a forced smile, "Luke."

"Hey Chris, Rory's not quite ready yet. You know … girls."

It pissed Chris off how casual Luke seemed to be now whenever he was around. How relaxed and assured of his position in Lorelai's life. _Yeah like he doesn't dread meeting like this_. "Yeah, I know, I've got two of my own," Chris forced a laugh.

"Yeah and now I've got three," Luke seemed to say to the baby, whose head was drooping on his shoulder. _Ah that's Mia… why did they pick Mia as a name? _Chris figured Luke was counting not only Lorelai but Rory too.

Chris was already uncomfortable enough, but now Luke was claiming Rory as his own and that just rubbed him the wrong way. Chris decided to clarify, "Well, I guess technically, Rory is mine … you know."

This comment didn't faze Luke and resulted in perplexed raised eyebrows, "Okay? Anyway, you want to come in and wait, I think someone is ready for their nap." Luke turned into the hall and Chris closed the door behind him.

Luke walked to Rory's room and called out, "Rory, Chris is here." Then, Luke went up the stairs to put Mia down with her brother.

_Dad, her dad is here,_ Chris grumbled to himself.

"Just a minute!" Rory called from her room.

Chris made his way into the living room and eyed all of the pictures on the mantle. Lorelai in the hospital, looking radiant after having just given birth to the twins. She was holding the twins with Luke and Rory beside her in scrubs. Another picture showed Rory and Luke with the twins at some park, maybe in Hartford. There were pictures of Luke and the twins at the diner, the kids with very messy faces from their dad's homemade baby food _what because the canned stuff isn't good enough?_. There was a candid shot of Luke trying to play golf with Richard, where Richard was smiling and Luke was wincing. Then there was a strange one photo, placed in a delicate silver frame with the word love engraved on in. It was a distance shot of Luke and Lorelai standing in the woods somewhere, with sunlight streaming down through the trees. Lorelai appeared to still be pregnant. _Huh? Is that professionally done? _There was another candid of Lorelai and Luke, sitting on a park bench, just talking to each other. Lorelai was holding a coffee, naturally, and there was firelight illuminating their expressions, with a bonfire behind them. Tucked inside the frame with the picture was a horoscope for a Scorpio, with Lorelai's handwriting on top of the prediction. _You will meet an annoying woman today, give her coffee and she'll go away. What the hell does that mean?_

The picture that really annoyed Chris was one with Luke, Lorelai, and Rory at Rory's Chilton graduation, like they both were her parents. _I will never hear the end of that_. Chris couldn't even remember the reason why he missed it. He did recall the shock of hearing Rory was going to Yale instead of Harvard and he only made that discovery well into her second semester. That is why he was here. He wanted to rebuild the bridge, to be involved and informed again, but the Boston rat race made it difficult for him to keep up with family, let alone with his estranged family in Connecticut. Granted his family consisted of only Gigi, whose grandmother had reluctantly agreed to watch while he picked up Rory for a visit. _Correction, my mother will get a nanny to watch her._

Finally, there was a large framed portrait above the mantle, seemingly in a place of honor, was of Luke and Lorelai's wedding day. The happiness of the couple seemed to beam off the photo paper. Lorelai was gorgeous in her dress and he never seen Luke in such formal entire before or with such a smiling, happy expression.

Looking at the picture caused a bitter taste to fill his mouth as he recalled that day and how he tried in vain to attend the nuptials.

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Chris felt obligated to be there. He really wasn't sure if he'd speak up when they asked that fateful question _"If any one here… has any reason…" _but he almost felt as though he couldn't be trusted. Apparently one of the ushers picked up on that feeling.

A gawky, awkward looking guy stopped him from entering the seating area at the Dragonfly Inn. "Excuse me, where do you think you are going?" the monotone voice asked.

"Well, I'm going to the wedding?"

"I'm sorry, may I see your invitation?"

"What?" Chris asked.

"Sir, I'm going to have to see your invitation in order to let you enter."

"I…I didn't bring it with me."

"That is unfortunate, I'm afraid you can't go in."

"You are kidding me, right?"

"I'm afraid not, we have very strict, very limited seating."

"What your name pal?"

The man seemed to consider the question and the person asking before finally answering, "Kirk."

"Listen Kirk, the maid of honor is my daughter. I'm the infamous Christopher. Rory's Dad. I think we've met before…"

"Oh, you are the dead beat who left Rory when she was a baby."

Chris couldn't help but cock his head to one side, "That is one way to look at it, I guess. So how about you let me in."

"I'm sorry, but I have strict orders from the bride's mother."

"Well, see there you go, I'm also friends with Emily."

"How did you now her name was Emily?"

"I told you I'm a friend of the family."

"I thought you said you were Rory's father?" Kirk said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"I'm both, now will you just let me in!"

"I'm sorry I can't. Frankly Mrs. Gilmore scares me and I gave her my word nothing would go wrong."

"Right, but I won't cause any trouble," Chris said, attempting to wheedle his way into the ceremony.

Jackson came up behind Kirk and tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey Best Man #2, it's time. You need to go get Luke."

"Thanks Jackson." Kirk turned to go but stopped and emphatically whispered to Jackson, "Watch this guy, I think he wants to cause trouble."

Chris rolled his eyes, but hoping he'd have better luck with Jackson

Jackson recognized him. "Hey Chris, was it? How are you doing?"

"Great Jackson, could you let me in now?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to. I just need to see your invitation." Jackson smiled, completely clueless to the previous conversation.

Failing his attempts to enter the wedding and running away before Emily saw him, Chris watched the ceremony from a safe distance on the Dragonfly's porch. He watched as Jess, Luke's nephew, the one who fractured Rory's wrist in a car accident, Best man #1, escorted Emily to her seat of honor. Chris saw Richard walked Lorelai down the aisle. He saw, with a pain in his gut, how Lorelai positively glowed at being joined to a man she truly loved, in front of all her friends and neighbors who had been rooting for the pair through good times and bad.

He knew he caused many of those bad times, but once upon a time he had been certain that Lorelai and he belonged together.

Chris broke away from the crowds and left after seeing Lorelai drag Luke off to the inn without being caught by her many guests and her mother.

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Chris was snapped out of his contemplation when Lorelai came in from the kitchen carrying a large mug with a spoon sticking out of it. _Some things never change, _Chris thought to himself, _and she definitely got her figure back_.

"Hey Chris!" Lorelai said as she curled up in the easy chair with a magazine and her mug, unconsciously unwilling to share the couch with him. There was something in Lorelai's manner and aura too. It showed Chris that he had no power over her anymore.

"Hey, how you doing, twins treating you okay?"

Lorelai beamed, "Yeah, I love my little angels. It was a bit rough the first few months of breast-feeding two of them. But other than that…" she seemed to smile at something … private.

Chris laughed uncomfortably; he remembered the first time after Gigi was born and the taste of Sherry's breast milk. He shrugged off the thought that Lorelai and Luke would do the same thing, not wanting his mind to go to those dark places.

Lorelai seemed involved with her article as she slurped up some fruit from her mug.

Chris was genuinely confused, as he had assumed the mug was filled with Coffee, "Lorelai?"

"Yeah?" coming out of her fashion induced trance.

"What are you eating?"

"Fruit cocktail, it's the strongest cocktail a girl can have while breast feeding. Oh, did you want some?" she asked trying to be a good hostess. _Emily would be proud._

"Why are you eating fruit?" Chris brow furrowed_, she has never eaten fruit before, she hates fruit, I know that much about her_.

"I like fruit."

"You hate fruit."

"I do not," she scoffed.

"Lorelai, the only way you'd eat fruit is if it was in a jelly donut."

"Oh, come on."

"With chocolate fondue you only ate the marshmallows."

"That is not true."

"What's not true?" Luke asked as he came down the stairs from putting Mia down with her brother, Will, in the new nursery.

Lorelai reached for her hubby, "Hey Hon," she said as Luke leaned down to kiss her, "both asleep?"

"Soundly, what's not true?"

"Do I hate fruit?" Lorelai asked, sure if anyone would know it would be her husband.

"Not anymore," Luke shrugged.

"What do you mean anymore? When did I ever hate fruit?"

"Oh come on, for the first years I knew you, the only fruit you'd eat had to have preservatives and corn syrup mixed with it. Or if I hid it in your pancakes."

"And now?"

"Now," Luke considered, "you are a … fruit junkie," as if he realized this for the first time. "We can't keep it in this house; you alone keep Jackson in business."

"Huh?" and she wondered. "How did that change?" considering her mug,

"The pregnancy," Luke concluded.

"What?"

"You're cravings. You'd wake me up in the middle of the night for peaches, watermelon, and pineapple. All in the middle of winter mind you!"

"Figures any children of yours would make me eat healthy even before they are out of the womb. How do you remember that?"

"Let's just say, you don't usually wake me up in the middle of the night for food." Luke grinned suggestively and kissed her again. Lorelai giggled and smiled at his meaning.

Chris lowered his eyes unable to watch the obvious display of love and also unable to remember the last time he had sex. Being a single Dad really didn't do it for the ladies of Boston.

"Okay, ready," Rory entered the living room with her messenger bag ready to go. She didn't realize how she was rescuing her father from the knots in his stomach forming at the affection Luke and Lorelai were showing right in front of him.

"Ready great," Chris stood up quickly, having been eager to leave before he had entered the house.

"Bring my girl back in one piece and untattooed" Lorelai teased.

"Does that mean I can talk him into a tattoo?" Rory pointed to Chris.

"How do you know I don't already have one?" Chris tried to joke they way they used to, but it still didn't feel the same.

"Well, we know Luke has one…" Lorelai smiled at her husband as she had prancing fingers tickling up Luke's arm.

"Will you let it go," Luke shook his head. "We've been married for how long?"

"Okay, I think we should leave before the next set of twins is conceived." Rory leaned down and kissed her mother good-bye, "Bye Mommy." Rory turned to Luke, her step father, and gave him a kiss on the cheek too, "Bye Daddy."

Chris couldn't stop his reaction. His eyes bugged wide and he seemed to let out a painful cough of disbelief, sounding as if he had been punched.

Lorelai was the first to look at Chris and noticed the offended expression. Rory soon realized the gaff and apologized, "Sorry, umm force of habit."

Chris' expression seemed to ask:_ how is that habit?_

Rory nervously explained, "We're trying to get the twins to say their first words…and well, I'm calling Mom 'Mommy' and Luke 'Daddy' hoping they will mimic…me." Rory hoped that didn't put a damper on her day with her father.

"Yeah Chris… even I'm calling Luke Daddy… and he calls me Mommy… we're just… trying to …"

"It's okay, it's fine… really, umm let's go…" Chris turned toward the door.

Yet, it had stung Chris deeply, his daughter calling another man daddy, dad, pop, or anything.

On their car ride, Rory could tell that Chris was still fuming over her slip of the tongue, even so, she tried to make conversation the whole way to her paternal grandmother's house in Hartford.

Chris focused on the road while Rory went on and on about her final year at school, looking forward to joining the work force, telling old stories about her summers with the Stars Hollow Gazette, and how she hoped she'd be up to par at a real paper. She told a few jokes about Paris and the colorful characters she had already been in contact with while working for the Yale Daily News, but Chris concentrated on the road, still stewing about Rory calling Luke daddy. Chris was her father, without him, Rory would not exist. He was half of her chromosomes, he was part of the equation of her creation, in a way, she owed her existence to him… and well Lorelai. It was his inalienable right to hold the title of father and Rory shouldn't use it so willy nilly towards Luke, even if it was to help her HALF siblings. Luke was her stepfather, nothing more; _well perhaps he is a pain in my ass_.

Chris shook his issues away, the whole point of this exercise was to reconnect with Rory so he tried small talk, "The twins sure seem like a handful." Chris had enough trouble with Gigi, he couldn't imagine having to deal with two at once.

"Yeah," Rory agreed, "but they are special and totally worth it."

"Do you feel really close to them, I mean the age gap is huge."

"Well, just a few years off from Gigi I suppose, but well, I see them every week when I come home. It helps that I was in the room when they were born."

"Really? I thought you wanted no part of it after the way you were wigging with Sherry and I thought I heard a story about Sookie's birth too…"

"Yeah well, they are my brother and sister, mom wanted me to be there, and Luke made sure I was there."

"Luke?" _Him again, _Chris thought, stewing that Luke was so ingrained in every part of his daughter's life.

"Well, by the time I arrived she was already in the delivery room, but Luke paid a nurse to come out, find me, and bring me in."

"The picture with the scrubs..." Chris figured.

"Yeah, that was like 5 minutes after mom gave birth, talk about a tough woman, she wanted to pay the nurse to take the picture, but he figured Luke already paid for his services," Rory said, giggling at the memory.

"Huh," mumbled Chris, already tired of hearing about Luke and how happy everyone was because of him.

"They are a really great team, Mom and Luke," Rory continued. "I mean he is so attentive to the kids, if Mom has to work at night for a function or something, he will take care of both kids by himself. I mean, for all the rants I heard about babies and jam hands who knew Luke would be so good at taking care of two babies at once. Now that they are walking and almost talking, he just wants to be around all the time now, he doesn't want to miss a moment. Ben, Lane, and Caesar are so understanding and took over the bulk of the shifts at the diner, especially opening and closing, knowing that these are his first kids. He wants to be there for everything and they want him to be around to see everything, too. He's lucky to have such great friends like that."

"Uh huh," was all Chris could say as he took the Hartford exit.

They arrived at the Hayden manor where Chris and Lorelai had spent the good times of their youth; at least in his mind they were good times. The good old days of sneaking booze, making out, and lying to parents. Life was so simple then before Rory's creation complicated everything for both families.

Rory wanted to use this opportunity to not only reconnect with her father and bond with Gigi, but also to try establishing a relationship with Francine, her other grandmother.

Rory was ushered in by a maid, much like she would be at Emily's house. Rory had never been to the Hayden house before and was eager to look around and possibly learn something of her father's past, perhaps understand why he turned out the way he did. She had known from hearsay and her one brief audience with Strobe that her paternal grandfather was a hard man, who may have even been harder to live with.

Francine was on the couch, with a wet washcloth on her head while a young Gigi was giving a concert with an synthesizer piano.

"Grandma, are you listening!" Gigi shouted over what she thought was music.

"Yes, precious. Grandma can still hear even though her eyes are closed," she said. Feeling the need to give her some bit of attention Francine lifted her head and removed the washcloth. "Oh Thank God!" she exclaimed when she saw Christopher.

"Daddy!" Gigi shouted. "Listen I wrote a song for you," and she began banging on the keys again.

Chris smiled at his young daughter, "Thank you, Gigi." _Thank you for knowing my proper title and you are only 4, _he added silently, still wounded from his first daughter's address towards Luke.

Gigi stopped banging on the keys when she finally caught sight of Rory. She froze and clamed up.

"Gigi, you remember your big sister Rory."

Gigi wore a frown and then ran to her dad's side burying her face in his hip.

"She's just not used to you," Chris eased.

"Right," Rory laughed lightly, usually being pretty good with children.

"Daddy! Tea Party!" Gigi said quickly, pulling her daddy away from Rory.

"Sure, can we invite Rory to it, too?"

"No! Table's full!"

"Gigi,' Chris admonished. "That's not very nice. You knew I was bringing Rory, she wants to spend time with you too."

"It's all right, I'll just hang back for now." Rory sat on the couch with her estranged Grandmother wondering if Francine was more open to bonding that Gigi was.

"Hello Rory," Francine straightened up since she had to play hostess. Both ladies on the couch didn't know how to enter into a conversation since they had only been in room together one other time.

"So Rory," Francine strained optimistically, "I understand you want to be a journalist."

"Yeah that's the plan, just finishing up at Yale."

"How lovely, it's nice for the modern girls to be so …career oriented."

"Yeah."

"And your mother, I think I read something about her owning her own motel?"

"It's an Inn actually," Rory delicately defended her mother. It was obvious from Francine's tone she still held Lorelai responsible for seducing Christopher, getting pregnant and ruining their standing as a family.

"Of course and didn't I hear something about her finally settling down?"

Rory glanced at Chris, who was busy pretending to sip his tea, smiling sympathetically at his first-born, while his second born scowled at her. "Yeah, to Luke, he's a great man."

"How nice. Well, do you have any other hobbies besides reading and school?"

"Well, Mom just had twins last year, so I'm busy helping out. oh yeah, and I love cooking now, once he discovered I was living off of radiator quesadillas, my dad taught me how to cook something a little more refined."

"Really? Christopher is utterly useless in the kitchen. That's why he has that nanny maid combo… what's her name…Susanna."

"Yeah Rory, I never taught you to cook," Chris said, knowing where this was going to lead and his anger over the situation was about to boil over.

"Oh sorry, I mean Luke taught me."

"Oh yes, your stepfather," Francine clarified.

"I really don't see him that way, if it's all the same to you."

Chris shot up from the table, "Oh really? Well it's not the same!"

"Excuse me?" Rory was taken aback.

"Look for your half siblings I let it slide, but you shouldn't be thinking about Luke that way. I'm your father."

"NO you're my father!" Gigi piped in.

"Calm down sweetie, I'm just making a point to Rory."

Rory stood up, "Oh really! Who went to my caterpillar's funeral? Who made me chicken soup and mashed potatoes when I was sick? Went to my graduation from high school? Who helped me move into Yale and dragged around a microbe mattress? Who wanted to beat up my boyfriend when we broke up…" ranted Rory, in the fashion she learned from Luke over the years.

"Rory…" Chris tried to calm his daughter down...both of them.

"No, Luke was there for all those things and you were never around. You weren't even there when I was Gigi's age. You missed my first steps, my first words, my first everything and you didn't care… you were just a voice on the phone to me…making promises that you didn't keep."

"Rory, the situation back then was complicated…"

"What was so complicated? Mom didn't want to get married that didn't mean she didn't want your help. You were, notice I said were, my father, you should have wanted to spend time with me regardless of what happened between my mother and you."

"She never asked for help, so why should I have been there."

"You were my father, she didn't think she had to ask!"

"He's my DADDY!" Gigi shouted again.

"You know what, it's too late for this. I am done trying to be a part of your life," Rory said, as she ducked the flying teacups from Gigi and headed towards the door.

Chris grew angrier because he had heard all these arguments from Luke himself, and Chris knew Rory had been brainwashed into believing all of it. "Rory, stop right there. I am your father, I know you listened to your mother and Luke when they trashed me, but I deserve something from you."

Rory paused at the door and turned towards Chris as Gigi ran around his legs and tugged on his pants, while Francine was heading towards the bar completely irritated and done with the progeny of Lorelai Gilmore. "I gave you everything I could. All you did was take from both me and Mom. I'm done, we're done. I don't need anything from you. I have a father, someone who is around, someone who isn't afraid of their responsibility, someone who gives me love and attention. Don't call me Christopher, don't try and spend time with me. I am not your daughter; it's over." She finished her speech with her head held high and walked out the door, while Chris just stood stunned while watching his first born daughter walk out the door and his life.

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Rory, with her years of navigating Hartford public transit coming in handy when she stormed out of the Hayden house without a ride, took the bus to Stars Hollow and used the time to calm down since she was spent from her fight with Christopher..

She arrived back in Stars Hollow and walked home. Rory quietly entered the house and heard a strange voice from the living room.

"_She is precious too me, my precious, my precious,_" Lorelai said in a Gollum voice, while she held Mia on the couch. Lorelai was curled on in the couch, with little Mia using mommy's legs as a recliner, cooing and giggling at her Mommy's funny voice. Luke watched as he fed Will with bottled breast milk, unable to help his chuckle, "You're gonna scare her."

"She likes it, look at that smile, isn't that right princess, _my precious princess._"

**Luke seemed to notice Rory out of the corner of his eye, "Hey you're home."**

"Yeah, home sweet home."

"How'd it go?" Lorelai asked over her shoulder.

"Well it went badly…Gigi threw her tea set at me," Rory said, grinning slightly.

"Oh Hon," Lorelai cooed, sad for her that Chris couldn't man up and spend time with his other daughter.

"I don't know, I mean twenty years after the fact. He was more interested that I called Luke Daddy then he was in spending time with me. Anyway, he said some stuff, it made me mad, and I told him not to call me or talk to me anymore. Then he blamed you guys for 'brainwashing' me about how evil he was. So I left and took the bus home. It was just too late to build bridges."

"Sorry Rory," apologized Luke as Lorelai and Mia hugged Rory.

"It's okay, I have a great dad already," Rory said as she kissed Luke's cheek.

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**LUKE's review: "That was all God-given talent."**

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**What do you think? Were they True to character...?**

**R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,  
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."**

**Please be specfic with R/R; name one(or as many as you can thing of or want to mention..…) at least specific thing you like please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)**

**Hence the Rant option bellow.**

Insert Rant here V


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